The Part-Time Nanny
by OceanicGirl
Summary: You know when life gets in the way and messes with your plans? Tris surely knows something about that and now she's desperately looking for a back-up plan, a B-option. Who knew that looking through a newspaper advertising jobs she would have found love? *Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC*
1. Chapter 1

**The Part-time Nanny** **You know when life gets in the way and messes with your plans? Tris surely knows something about that and now she's desperately looking for a back-up plan, a B-option. Who knew that looking through a newspaper advertising jobs she would found love?**

 ***Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC***

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Divergent Trilogy**

 _You're not what we are looking for, sorry_

These words echoed in Tris' ears as she took the few steps that separated the now closed door and the street before she started walking along the street on the grey pavement towards her blue car. That was the fourth time in less than ten days she heard something similar to 'sorry but you're not what we need' or 'sorry but for this job we require more qualifications' or 'sorry you're not experienced enough' and honestly she couldn't help but feel a little defeated and discouraged. Wasn't that normal? Everything was going wrong in that period and finding a job was more difficult than she had thought. In the last two weeks she had done nothing but look though newspaper, sites online and fliers looking for a job as babysitter, part-time nanny or home teacher.

School was about to start, in just a little more than a week thousands of children between 5 and 18 years old would start school with everything linked with it: sports, homework, projects and so on and a ton of families and moms would struggle to find a babysitter or an au pair who could look after their children while they were busy at work… So, why hadn't she found a job yet? Was she that bad?

With a little of bitterness she thought she could have started school in about a week as well if life hadn't gotten in the way… not as a student of course - since she was 27 years old and had already graduated, completed her studies and all a few years before - but as a teacher… yeah she could have started her dreamy job, she had always wanted to become a teacher, a primary school teacher to be precise. Her dream had been just so close to come true but apparently life had other plans for her since it had messed with hers so much in the past months.

Just a year before everything was going amazing and her future used to look rosy and bright, Tris used to be so enthusiastic and confident she had even taken some relevant decisions and big steps: she had moved out the apartment she had been sharing with her best friend Christina for many years - almost since they both had started college - to rent a flat on her own, first of all because she wanted to be more independent but even because this way Chris and his at-that-time boyfriend and now fiancé Will would have been able to live together after almost 5 years of dating.

A call. That had been the reason of her happiness and enthusiasm, a call from the principal of the Portland Elementary School. After a couple years of being a substitute teacher for short periods he had offered her a permanent position and she had felt just so so ecstatic and thrilled, really on top of the world because that was what she had always wanted to become.

But unfortunately she soon had plummeted from the top of the world to a gray, sad and bitter reality of glitches, unexpected and negative events… like on a roller coaster: one minute you're up in the sky, on minute you're down on the ground. How fantastic!

First had come her 84-year-old granny's accident: the disastrous and ruinous fall on her home stairs that had gotten her four broken bones and had relegated her on a bed or on an armchair needing full assistance 24/7 for over two months… Of course Tris hadn't refused to help and assist her for most of the time and not only because off her selflessness, partly because of that - wanting to help people being in her DNA- but mainly because Rose -Tris' father's mom - had always been her favorite granny, the two of them had always been really close, sharing a strong and solid relationship. Then of course had come the practical reasons why Tris had decided to dedicate a good part of those two months looking after her grandma: Tris' parents - Andrew and Natalie - had done their best to help but their jobs hadn't allowed them a lot of free time and days off so they hadn't been able to assist her as they had wanted to but Rose had never blamed them and neither had Tris, it hadn't been their fault after all.

And then there was Caleb of course, Tris' brother, but he was not the most indicate person to take care of an old woman at all and once again, it was not him the one to blame… he just had never been cut out for that, too lost in his own world of molecules, cells, DNA, mitosis, meiosis and God knows what else. He had always been everything but a practical and pragmatic… And so it was Tris who had looked after Rose for almost two months straight, she hadn't done that because forced though, that hadn't been a burden for her even if it had stolen her time to dedicate to her teacher training and to courses she had planned to attend in order to get an higher qualification that were required to teach at the Portland Elementary School.

And then had come the other accident, much more painful than the previous one. _The fire._ Tris remembered it like it had happened the day before and not almost four longs months before. It was printed in her memory and dreams - well nightmares - and some of the effects were still there, on her body: her back was still sore and covered with red and brown big marks caused by the multiple burns that still had to heal. After four long months they were still there - on her back, shoulder and neck - and they still hurt, despite all the treatment she had been through and all the medications and creams she had been using.

Three weeks. She had been relegated in an hospital for three weeks that had seemed like three years to her, time had flown slow. Impossibly slow. And that was what had caused her to lose her job before even starting it. Not the pain, not the burns. Smoke inhalation, that was what had nearly killed her, that was what had gotten her jobless. Because of this inhalations that had relegated her for weeks she hadn't been able to attend some essential courses and teacher training meetings, it hadn't allowed her to take some vital exams for her job so she had lost her position for the year and now she had to wait other ten endless months, nearly 320 days to start her job. One year of school, one year or teaching, one year of her dreamy job… completely lost, that was what that accident had caused.

On the other had Tris knew she had to be thankful because she was still alive and hadn't died during the fire or shortly after in an ambulance or hospital bed and she also knew she had to feel proud she had saved a life, Ava - the two years old baby girl she had managed to save rushing into the building in fire risking her own life in order to save hers - was alive, she was okay. Sure she had been through some intensive weeks of hospital recovery, her small precious little body covers with burns as well but, just like Tris, she was okay, she was healing and she wasn't dead.

Tris was grateful for her life and Ava's, thanks to her that little baby still had all her life to live. She was thankful and she knew she had been lucky, her guardian angel had been there for her. But she had lost her job, before even working one day and that had been hard to metabolize, she had wanted that position so much, she had waited for it for so long and now she had to wait one year longer. One long year. It hadn't been her fault, not Ava's, no one was to blame or accuse. It had just happens. Life had planned a different future for her - Tris had assumed -, sure thing it had messed with her own plans but she couldn't do much about it, could she?

 _Don't put yourself down, don't put yourself down. Your job is out there waiting for you and only you, just don't give up now._

Tris repeated this words in her head a couple times to instill positive thinking. She wasn't one to give up easily, she was a fighter, she was positive, cheerful, optimistic and hopeful… she had always been and she wasn't ready to change her attitude or give up, no way!

Using her remote control she unlocked her car when there were still a few meters between her and her vehicle and - as she reached it - she opened the driver door before letting herself fall on the seat. Placing her bag on her knees Tris spent a few seconds ransacking it looking for her phone.

16.01 p.m.

She noticed she had a couple of texts but before opening them she put on some good vibrant music that gave her a charge and made her heart beat faster in her chest as the notes and rhythm of the rock song ran through her veins, she enjoyed herself for a few minutes - lost in another world.

Only when the song finished Tris remembered about the texts and opened them: one was for her mother asking her if she wanted to join them for lunch on Sunday and the other one was a vocal note from Christina, she wasn't a fan of vocal notes and that one was over a minute long and she could guess what she was about to hear but she patiently listened to it anyway.

 _'Hi Tris, since I haven't heard from you I guess you're either still busy which I doubt since your your job interview started almost an hour ago and this would be the longest job interview in history or you're upset because it hasn't gone as wished. Let me know as soon as possible.'_

With a sigh Tris collapsed even more in her seat and took a deep breath before responding to her best friend's text, she would called her mother later.

' _The second one_ ' was her simple answer to Chris but she didn't even have time to put her phone back in her bag and start the car to go home because her best friend called her.

 _How is it possible? I sent the text three milliseconds ago!_

A part of her didn't want to pick up the call since she was not really in the mood to chat but she knew her bestie too well: if she hadn't answered, Chris wouldn't have stopped and Tris would found her out of her apartment door, that was for sure. Chris was that type of friend.

' _Hi_ ' Tris greeted her before cleaning her throat since her voice had cracked a little bit but Chris gave her no time to add anything else.

 _'Where are you?_ ' she asked out of nowhere with a serious voice that was so not her.

' _My car'_

 _'OK but where?'_ Chris questioned her like it really did matter, and maybe it did but Tris didn't know why… at least not yet

Trying to remember the name of the street took Tris some time but she eventually decided to give her a simpler answer ' _Near the University'_

' _Perfect. Come over at my workplace, my shift ends in half an hour. I have something for you. See you soon Tris_ ' her best friend's text left no room to argue or ask any other detail or information and that was so in character with Chris.

 **So how was it? You liked it? Should I continue this story? Please let me know if you think so, otherwise (if the idea sucks or something) I'll just delete it.**

 **~OceanicGirl**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two**

 **WARNINGS:** *Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC*

 **DISCLAIMER:** I do not own The Divergent Trilogy

"Chris are you telling me where you're taking me? With my car? Or you're just gonna drive and drive for the next few days in silence?" Tris asked her best friend after about 15 minutes of driving, partly because she had no idea where they were going but mostly because the fact she had barely talked since she had hopped on the car was suspicious and Tris didn't like it, she didn't know what to think since Christina had never been able to keep her mouth shut for more than a few minutes, she had always been everything but a silent and quiet person! So the fact that she had been driving Tris' car giving her no details apart from "I'm taking you to a special place. You're gonna love it, I'm sure" had Tris a little worried.

She hadn't even had the time to stop the car in front of Chris' workplace because she had already been there waiting and had ran - she had actually ran with high heel on - towards her just to open Tris' car door and kick her out "I'm driving" she had said in her authoritative voice adding nothing else… Really suspicious!

"Well?" Tris insisted not really in the mood for a joke or a shopping afternoon.

Shopping… Tris had always hated it but guess what? Chris had always been a shopping addicted, since she was like four years old and whenever she was depressed, a little down or happy, excited or in any other mood… shopping shopping shopping and shopping: her answer to every single problem! And Tris was not in the mood for shopping, not at all!

Even if they had been best friend almost since their birth since they first met at the park when they were three and had be inseparable since then they had always been like two faces of the same coin, the opposites with nothing in common, like the day and the night, the Sun and the Moon. No one had ever understood how they could get along so well, it had always been a mystery to everybody but they had always been like that and they both wouldn't changed a thing in their relationship: friends, best friends, sisters. Tris loved her but she wouldn't stood shopping, not that afternoon.

"So, since you're a little down, I can't read it all over your face but you shouldn't be since they were obviously blind idiots we need something to cheer you up and that's what I'm going to do" she says in a serious tone but with her proud smile still playing on her lips.

"Please tell me-" Tris started but was brutally interrupted.

"I know what you're going ask. Don't worry: no shopping, no saloon or anything like that" Chris assured her before adding beneath her breath "I can't really get why you don't like about it, shopping is life girl"

Tris just shaked her head waiting for Chris to reveal something more "So? What are we doing?"

"No, no. Not telling you that, you need to be patient for a little longer" she answered not sharing any other detail for the rest of the ride, just some popular hits playing and filling that atmosphere full of mystery. Tris, giving up, rested her heavy head on the cold car window, absent-mindedly looking at the cars and building speeding while Chris kept on traveling along unknown streets towards an unknown destination placed somewhere far from the city centre since it seemed like they were heading to the opposite direction.

The unexpected and sudden arrest of Tris' car caused her head to bump a little against the slightly blurred glass and the small drops of condensation to roll down the window.

"Ouch"Tris murmured under her breath giving Chris an furrowed glance.

"Sorry, didn't mean. But here we are, to the place that will put a smile back on your lips" she said.

"Someone is looking confident today" she commented chuckling, finding funny her best friend's positivity and sureness.

"I _am_ confident and sure" she said before hopping off the car and waiting for Tris to follow her, in the meantime she hadn't even looked out to try and find out where they were so she had no idea what was going to welcome her once out of the car.

Shutting the car door a shiver ran down Tris' back and goosebumps appeared on her bare arms, it was quite chilly that day, the time had changed suddenly the previous night and Tris' t-shirt couldn't do much to warm her up but, after a few seconds, her attention was completely caught by the cute and colorful building in front of her.

It looked like a nineteenth-century two level noble house, a large wrought iron gate opened into a small garden with a gravel path connection the street with the front wood door, this one opened too. The two small balconies on the first floor were like two spectacular spots of colour since they were filled up with plants and flowers of every shape and colour,they looked amazing. Big windows adorning the facade along with a cute peculiar sign that read "The precious book".

 _Books? Did someone say books?_

Tris loved books, she had always loved reading like every single things with written pages and a cover. Novels, biographies, papers, cooking books, school books, tales, science and astronomy books… books books books, she loved books! So you can imagine the intake of breath at the sight of the building in front of her: not only it was breathtaking but it was a book shop!

Excitement started running through Tris' veins and she immediately turned around, a squeal trapped in her throat, to face Chris and her proud expression. An excited grin threatening to deform Tris' face forever. Still too speechless to speak - Chris, _Chris_ , had taken her to a bookshop and suddenly she couldn't care less about the failed job interview - started bouncing along the path, toward the entrance. She couldn't wait to be in and lose herself in the magic world of books, world made of shelves, covers, titles, silence, plots, chapters, quotes and paper fragrance, a world she was familiar to.

Once entered Chris couldn't make her leave or drag her out before a whole three hours of books and only books apart from the conversation - about books - that Tris had had with the owner of the bookshop - an old woman who had decided to transform the ground floor of her house into a shop selling books a couple of years before and, since the business was developing and more and more people had started going there, she now had also a couple of young assistants to help her. Tris could easily understand why people had started to go there, it was a paradise, an old style bookshop with armchairs in a corner of the huge room to let people sit and read or discuss, exchange opinions; relaxed atmosphere and kind people, not like the busy and frantic bookstore you could find in the city centre. There was nothing too bad about then but that… that was heaven and Tris only let Chris drag her out at 7,30 p.m. but just because the old lady had to close the shop. Chris thanked her for closing, earning a sticking out tongue from her best friend that resulted in a general laughter. Tris only gave up and agreed to leave once having assured Katie she would come back and having brought five books.

It had been a long afternoon for Chris, you can imagine, but the huge smile that hadn't left Tris' face since she had realized where she had been taken was worth it and Chris was glad Tris seemed to be back to her carefree and joyful attitude and that was confirmed when, back in the car, she asked her "So, fuck them?" thinking back at her lost job opportunity and Tris after just a second-lasting hesitation nodded her head, not really convinced at first but then with more and more resolution.

"You know what? It was also quite ironic, it would have been even funny if had been a different situation"Tris said out of the blue after a few minutes taking Chris by surprise.

"How come? I wanna know this one girl"

"They thought I was German" Tris said with a light chuckle.

"What?" Chris screamed with a shocked yet fun and interested facial expression threatening to slam on the brakes. Before starting to explain what had happened a bunch of hours before Tris made a me take note never to let her best friend drive her car ever again because every ride had been a potential fatal one. Yeah, they had mistaken her for a girl coming from Germany - central Europe - and that just because of a photo they had asked her to send them before the job interview… Blonde hair, pale and eyes an indefinite colour between grey-ish and blue-ish… they had wrongly assumed she was from Germany and able to speak German and of course Tris was not, she didn't even know where to start with Germany, not even able to say 'Hi' in that language. Let's just say that, once discovered she was from the States and she could only speak English and a little French and so she wouldn't been able to practice German with their 7-year-old son, they hadn't been really polite and kind to her, quite rude actually, the peak of their impertinence contained in their last words " _You're not what we were looking for_ ", spoken in an slightly harsh and impolite voice.

"Screw them" was Chris' final goodbye in front of Tris' front door that evening, when the sun had already set and the moon raised.

\--

Two uneventful days had passed when Tris received a phone call from her best friend and that was unusual since she was usually the text-type so Tris picked it up soon and was welcomed by Chris urgent voice "Turn your computer on. Now. I'm sending you an email"

Her loud and high pitched voice sending a shot of vitality through her, her exuberant tone telling her there was no room to object, the only thing she couldn't figure out was the reason of her urgency - not that she patient or anything, she had never been but that was an unusual request, that's all but Chris had always been quite unpredictable so Tris sighed and got up for the kitchen table to go to her room and power her laptop, putting Chris on speaker.

"One sec" she told her before asking the reason why she was sending her an email.

"Will was reading a newspaper or something online, I haven't really understood but that it irrelevant… I've found you a job! Am I or am I not the best best friend in the world?" at her words - not the part where she vainly classified herself as the 'best best friend in the world but at the mention of a potential job opportunity - Tris speeded up, eager to see what Chris was talking about and she even mumbled a silent "C'mon" to her computer before it finally responded to her commands and opened the blue link on Chris' email.

Tris started reading the announcement under her breath:

" _Looking for a part-time nanny to pick up my 2 children (5 and 7 y/o) from Elementary School and then watch and help them doing homework at my house until 6.30. Services needed Monday through Friday but may have some flexibility on days and time-table. Although dinner prep isn't required it would be great if you could prepare after school snacks. No qualifications needed. Start date: September 11th_ "

Tris arrived at the end of it breathless since she had read it all at once, never stopping until the last two lines with the conclusive address, the phone number to arrange a job interview and the signature: _Lauren Eaton._

Tris' heart almost skipped a beat when she realised Lauren Eaton's house was actually not far from her own - 10 minutes driving maximum - and that that was the best and most rosy job advertisement she had found. She had to get it.

 **Comments and reviews would be much appreciated, thank you. Hope you enjoyed.**

 **OceanicGirl**


	3. chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

 **WARNINGS** : *Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC*

 **DISCLAIMER** : I don't own The Divergent Trilogy

Taking a last glance at her reflection in the window of the store next to the coffee shop she was about to go in to meet Lauren Eaton for her job interview Tris took a deep breath and adjusted her outfit nodding at herself when satisfied to boost her confidence: her skinny black jeans, her simple white long-sleeves blouse, her bright mid-thigh deep camel coat and her scarf, just the essential makeup on her face and her long golden hair falling down her shoulders... She looked modest but quite professional, nothing too extravagant or stupid, she hoped it was the right outfit for the colloquial and prayed to get the job.

It was a common Wednesday afternoon, the 7th of September and the job Tris wanted to get would started in 5 days, she was ready but didn't want to get her hopes up just to be disappointed again but, deep inside, she was really really hoping for the job interview to end up well.

Another nod to herself and she finally took the three steps separating her from the coffee shop entrance, she was still early - not too much but it was still five good minutes before four, hadn't wanted to risk and be late for such an important meeting: first impressions are important and arriving late for a job interview can't be a good thing at all, not a great start anyway that's for sure.

Trying to calm her nerves Tris thought back at the phone conversation she had had with Lauren Eaton just a couple of days before, the morning after Chris had told her about the advertisement online, Tris had called her after a good twenty minutes of rehearsals in front of her mirror and it had went smoothly, thankfully her very first impression hadn't been bad and from what she had been able to get and understand her 'potential boss' was quite nice, not rude or anything… not that that would have really mattered since she was desperately looking for a job and couldn't allow herself to be picky or something but still she had seemed professional and - luckily - in desperate need of a part time nanny. Lauren hadn't given her many details but Tris guessed that was what the job interview was for and if she had gotten the job then she would have been better informed.

The ring of the bell above the door when she pushed it took Tris back to earth, the delicious smell of coffee and sweets reawakening her senses and putting a smile on her face, she took her time scanning the inside lingering on the big windows, the bar counter and on the trails with tempting muffins and cakes and her stomach growled looking forward to eat some of that delicacies. A little comforted she started looking at the tables, some already taken, some free and realised she had no idea what Lauren looked like and the same was for Lauren herself since Tris hadn't been asked to send a pic of herself and they had obviously never met before: scanning more carefully she noticed that no-one looked like they were waiting for someone: small groups of students chatting, a couple of old ladies sipping their teas, a small crowd of businessmen dressed in suits discussing something rather animatedly, a man in a corner with a book in his hands, a young guy typing something frantically on his computer... no mom-looking women sat alone or keeping an eye on the door so Tris guessed she had arrived before Lauren so decided to just sit down in a corner at a small round table and take out her new book to read at least a couple of pages in order to kill the wait and smooth her nerves but she let the waiter know she was waiting for another person to join her.

A sound of heels approaching distracted her from the novel that she was reading making her look up just in time: the woman coming towards her was just a couple of steps from the table, Tris smiled up and stood up ready to introduce herself and get to know who she could only assume was Lauren.

"Hi I'm Lauren, you must be Tris, right?" she asked extending her hand for Tris to shake as she replied "Yes, I am. It's nice to meet you". They both sat down again and Lauren took a few seconds to get comfortable on her chair and take off her coat giving Tris time to look at her closely: she was young - that was the first thing that caught her attention - in her early thirties Tris guessed, long brown slightly-wavy hair, tanned skin and big brown smokey eyes, quite fancy and expensive-looking clothes but a nice expression on her face. After a short awkward moment the waiter came to take their orders breaking the tension between them, Tris was anxious and suddenly felt inadequate even if she couldn't tell why so she just stared at the menu for a while, looking nervous and Lauren must had noticed since she tried to make her feel a little better suggesting she tried the Hot Mocha which in that coffee shop was 'divine' as she said so they ended up taking two of that and two choc chip raspberry muffins finding out they both were in love with raspberries, this made Tris feel a little lighter and, waiting for their drinks and food to arrive, they talked quite friendly for a bit to get to know one another, focusing more on Tris obviously. Lauren wasn't too insistent and it didn't sound too like a normal job interview and it helped Tris a lot, she usually was quite shy but that friendly and cozy atmosphere made it all more relaxed and easy. Lauren got to know that Tris had studied and was still taking classes to become an elementary school teacher and she was enthusiastic about that since both her children were in Elementary school and she would have been able to help them, Lauren asked her about past experiences and even if Tris had only babysat a couple times before still her dream to become a teacher was the only thing Lauren could think about, as soon as Tris had told her that the two-children mom had decided Tris was the right person for her to hire. Not only she didn't have a lot of time to find a part- time nanny since school was about to start but also she had interviewed a couple of other candidates to take that position but they hadn't convinced her one bit. Not only Tris was young and sounded friendly and professional at the same time but she also had a degree in science education, she was perfect for the position offered so Lauren didn't waste any time to tell Tris she would have happily employed her, the huge grin that appeared on the now soon-to-be a part-time nanny was priceless and still it couldn't even compare with how thrilled and excited Tris was feeling.

After a few seconds of pure joy and excitement Tris switched back to professional mode and they went into more specific but essential details: of course Lauren wanted to test her abilities and skills so Tris would have been officially hired only after a successful week on trial but this didn't frighten Tris that now was feeling super positive and confident. Going more into 'business- details' Lauren gave her some more information: Emily was 6 years old in her second year of elementary school while James was about to start his fourth grade and was almost 8, both very lively and energetic, they loved the open air and disliked doing their homework most of the time, James' passions were soccer and Math while Emily was more the artistic and creative one: she was learning to play the piano and loved drawing. Their school that was a five-minute-long walk to their house was 9.30-15.30 everyday Monday to Friday and Lauren was usually back form work around 18.30 so trisTris wouldn't been required to cook dinner but just to pick them up from school, prepare them some snacks for the afternoon, to help them do their homework and to take them to their music lessons and soccer work-out sessions, then play with them and entertain the two children on their free time. Tris was enthusiastic and nodded the whole time, her smile still playing on her lips: she couldn't wait to start.

Lauren told her to meet her on Monday in front of the children's school gate at 15.30 so, since she had taken the day off for her children's first day of school, she would shown her a few more things and Tuesday would been her first official day of trial, she kept nodding. Out of nowhere Tris realized never once Lauren had talked about or mentioned the father of Emily and James or an husband and she was not wearing any wedding or engagement ring but Tris didn't really care or ask if course, maybe Lauren was a single mother or was divorced but sure thing that wasn't Tris' business at all.

After over an hour of talking and sipping their Hot Mocha that was indeed delicious the two women finally shaked one another's hand with smiles on both theirs lips and took different directions once out of the coffee shops: Lauren had to go to her parent's to collect her son and daughter while Tris rushed to her car and sat down with a content sigh before taking her phone out of her bag to call a waiting Chris and her parents too: she was super excited and ready to start this new job that sounded really appealing. She realized she really couldn't wait to meet those two kids, their mom had described them in such a way that Tris was sure the three of them would gotten along really really well: she could feel it!

Her happiness and positivity didn't fade during the rest of the week and the weekend, the excitement followed her wherever she went for the following days like an halo, an aura of infectious carefreeness and cheerfulness and Tris started eyeing the light out of a dark tunnel, equipped with newfound hope she couldn't feel better and more ready to start this new period of her life and get over the previous few months of difficulties, unlucky coincidences and misfortune.

Sure she had never really lost her positive and light attitude but it had been kind of hidden beneath a blanket of tiredness, dejection and despondency so everyone was so happy to 'have their Tris back' when she returned victorious form that job interview, her parents shown all their pride and support and so did her older brother Caleb that, despite living in another town not far from Portland, had called her on a daily basis to always be up-to-date with his sister's job research developments and of course all her friends had been nothing but supportive and happy for her.

In those three or four days before her official start as a part-time nanny on trial she took time to study Lauren's neighborhood that was not that far away from hers, she looked for some info about the children's school, James' soccer team and Emily's music school not to be totally unprepared and she also looked for parks or playgrounds near Lauren's house where take the children on sunny and warm days. So Tris spent a great deal of time, when not busy between 'how to deal with dyslexia' and 'dealing with learning disabilities' classes and everyday activities, getting ready for her new job.

Sunday night, lying on her bed already in her pajamas and under the covers with her hair sticking in every direction on her pillow, Tris wasn't able to sleep, too excited and busy daydreaming to really drift off, a smile plastered on her light face, clothes already waiting for her on the dresser and thrill in her veins. It was late at night when she finally gave up, her eyelids fluttered a couple of times before resting down, closed and covering her grey-bluish vivid eyes, the distant owl call lulling her to a peaceful sleep in her quiet and dark bedroom.

 **Comments and review would be much appreciated, thank you! Hope you enjoyed**

 **~OceanicGirl**


	4. chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

 **WARNINGS** : *Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC*

 **DISCLAIMER** : I don't own The Divergent Trilogy

 _"Mommy, Mommy" "Oh my baby" "Here you are?" "How was it?" "How did your first day go?" "Mommy, daddy"_

You can imagine the crowd and the chaos right outside the gate of one of the biggest, most popular and prestigious Elementary Schools of Portland on the first day of the new school year at 15:30 when lessons finished… Kids, parents, teachers, babysitters and grandparents everywhere; screams, calls, questions and shouts form every directions; hugs, moms looking for their kids, kids looking for their moms, kisses, caresses and more hugs was all you could see, all Tris could see from where she was standing next to Lauren who was scrutinizing the crowd and the whole garden looking for Emily and James who seemed nowhere to be seen.

Tris was barely controlling her excitement and enthusiasm, eager to meet Lauren's kids but feeling slightly useless since she had no idea what they looked like so she couldn't be of any help but still she couldn't wait to get to know the two of them and couldn't be more positive and optimistic about it, she just really couldn't wait!

They had met nearby the school about ten minutes before the final ring of the school bell both slightly impatient to meet the two kids but for different reasons: Lauren really wanted to know how their first day had gone and to hear about their classmates and teachers and Tris just really wanted to meet them and start her first official day under the supervision of Lauren since she had all the day off and would have helped her, shown her around the neighborhood and the house, given her more specific information, requests and tasks. It was a beautiful day, to Tris it looked perfect: sunny, warm, exciting… She didn't really know that but it would have changed her life, well not that day in particular but her new job for Lauren Eaton would have.

"Mommy! Mommy" two young and cheerful voices echoed together in their directions and Tris saw Lauren's face lightening and a wide smile appearing on her face so she could only guess she had finally spotted her children, she waved her hand and Tris looked in that direction anxious to see them. It was not that easy because of the hundreds of people around her and thanks to her shortness but she eventually saw two impossibly cute and sweet kids, running hand in hand towards Lauren, the bags on their shoulders huge and probably heavier then the kids themselves, the same soft smile on their small lips and the same soft childish dimples on their fair cheeks. The baby girl - Emily - looked so angelic and precious Tris couldn't help but fall in love with her from the very first second: her big, hopeful brown eyes; her soft-looking, shoulder length, gold layered locks; her pale skin; her small adorable nose; her pouty rosy lips and her slightly chubby cheeks... she looked like a small precious angelic creature, so small, sweet and beautiful!

When Tris eventually moved her stare from Emily to her older brother she found him just as adorable with his small round glasses; his straight brown hair; the curious and partly toothless smirk; his vivid and lively eyes and his protective attitude towards his little sister, evident in the way he was holding her small hand in his and leading her towards their mum.

Tris' heart melted there at that sight and even more when the two kids reached their mother who had kneeled down with her arms opened to welcome her kids embrace, the trio spending some long moments in a tight hug, Tris looking down at them with a huge smile plastered on her face, amazed by that heartwarming and perfect-looking scene in front of her. After a few seconds Tris noticed Emily's big eyes were on her, paying her more attention than to her mum and Lauren must have noticed because soon after she broke the embrace and pulled away standing on her foot again and taking James and Emily's hands in hers before looking at her.

"Kids, she's Tris. She's your new nanny. Say 'hi' " she said softly looking between the children and Tris who decided to kneel down in front of them herself.

"Hi" she greeted them both trying to sound as sweet and soft as possible but unable to fight her huge grin or hide her happiness, after a few seconds of eye contact Emily took a step towards her, letting go her mom's hand just to approach the young woman in front of them and look at her curiously for a moment before smiling at her "Hi, I'm Emily" she whispered softly but confidently taking a few more little steps towards Tris until she was right a few inches from her and smiled at her more widely, she had decided she liked and could trust her, her usual shyness left aside.

"I'm James" he introduced himself moments later before asking "You like soccer?" at what Lauren couldn't help herself and chuckled shuckling his head "James, you've just met her and the first thing you ask is if she like soccer, not really polite of you!"

"It's okay, nothing to worry about" Tris replied friendly "And yes I like it, I'm not really good at playing it but I'm sure you could teach me. I already know a few things because my brother used to play soccer as well when he was about you age"

"Don't worry I'll teach you and then we'll have a match. Emily can't play" he says teasing her sister who just sticks her tongue out at him and makes funny faces at him making Tris laugh.

"Okay kids, enough. You have a lot of things to tell, haven't you? How was your first day? Emily you liked it? How is school?" Lauren says heading towards the exit and mouthing 'home' to Tris who followed her silently, nodding at her and walking beside Emily listening to her and James' comments about school, friends and classmates, they were so adorable Tris got lost in the moment and suddenly, in what seemed a matter of seconds, they were in front of Lauren's house: the colorful garden in front of the main entrance, the three white steps, the big windows and the wooden door; the house looked amazing from the outside: big and modern and as they went in tris couldn't help but admire Lauren's good taste, the inside was even more beautiful than the outside, everything was neat and tidy even if it was evident children lived in the house, their toys and books on the shelves or on the floor, the modern furniture, the clean wooden floor, pics and painting on the walls, white curtains at the windows, a big elegant lighting fixture in the doorway and a big perfect-looking living room appearing at the end of the shot yet quite large corridor.

 _"Tris, Tris come and see my room", "I'll show you my toys", "My favorite book, will you read it to me?", "Let's go to the park to play, I'll teach you", "Tris come see my score for the piano"..._

"Kids, stop it. Let her live please or she won't come back to you two little rascals. She'll need some time to get used to the house so we do need to show her around a little bit but please don't scream or try to win her over this way. I'll show her around the kitchen, bathrooms, living room while you two go upstairs, put your bags down, take your shoes off and wash your hands, then you'll show her your bedrooms alright?" Lauren says successfully shushing Emily and James who were kind of bombarding Tris with questions and requests that she didn't know how to answer, still half lost in the breathtaking inside of their house so she was glad Lauren had answered for her, Tris would have been able to handle difficult and stressing situations form then on, she just needed a couple of days to get used and the house tour they started with definitely helped her not only to find her way around but also to learn a few more useful things about the kids, their routine, favorite things and food, their favorite subjects, book and hobbies… all important things that would helped her in her job.

That first afternoon was spent between small talk, questions asked both by Tris to the family and the other way around, half an hour of doing a puzzle with James and Emily, some snacks, some more questions and advices, instructions for the following couple of days and a lot of hugs and kisses by Emily who seemed to really like the new nanny and the feeling was mutual as Tris had already fallen in love with those two small lovely creatures and already felt so glad and grateful for that job opportunity. Lauren had been quite friendly too, rather professional but still kind and smiley.

Tris went to bed extremely happy that night, a content smile unable to leave her lips, her eyes shining with joy and her heart light. She was still a little sad she hadn't been able to start teaching that year but maybe it wouldn't have been that bad, Tris could sense she would have liked her new job and was determined to do her best.

\--

Exactly five days later, Tris was officially hired as the part-time nanny of Emily and James Eaton and went out to celebrate with a small group of close friends that Saturday night, a quiet and familiar dinner in a small local restaurant just to relax and have fun after an intense yet exciting week.

"A toast for Tris and her new job" Chris called before they started eating making everyone cheer and take a sip of the transparent sparkling alcoholic drink in front of them, Tris - blushing a little bit but smiling to silently thank them - casted a cursory glance at her table and friends: Chris and Will, Lynn - her extravagant and dark friend from middle school - with her Chinese-American purple haired girlfriend Taeyeon, her longtime friend Marlene, her neighbour Al and a couple of friends from her teaching classes: Cassandra and Alex; she couldn't help but smile happily even wider before their waitress interrupted their cheerful celebrations to take their orders leaving them to their catch up a few seconds later.

"So? How is your new job, girl?" Mar asked breaking the ice and starting questioning the poor Tris who hated being the centre of everybody's attention but being that a night in her honor she knew she would have been.

"It's great really, Emily and James are lovely and just so cute, a little too lively sometimes but they're really adorable and their mum is fine, not too strict or annoying. She's fine. "

"Pic, pic! Show them that photo you sent me yesterday" Chris squealed in excitement, she had almost instantly fallen in love with those two titches and she had never been the type to love kids that much but the pic Tris had sent her had her melting and everyone else at the table said nothing but "how cute", "adorable", "so lovely" or something like that expect for Mar who said "You know what Tris, this little boy reminds me of your brother. He'll become a scientist I feel it in my bones" making them all laugh hard.

"Well he's favourite subjects are Maths and Science so it may be, who know. Now his dream is to become a famous soccer player but he could always change his mind" Tris answered chuckling.

"And the little girl? Emily? She looks like a little angel, can't believe she's that lively" Alex asked.

"You have no idea, she's really sweet and innocent but don't be fooled by her angelic-look, she can be a such a brat and rascal when she gets angry. If I were you I'd stay alert" Tris warned them earning some surprised and approval faces from her friends.

"And what about the father? Is he hot? How didn't I ask before?" Chris asked being her usual self and looking shocked at her own forgetfulness making Will raise an eyebrow at her, that made her roll her eyes "You know I love you baby, I was just checking. Our Tris here is single"

"A married man? With children? Are you serious Chris?" Lynn looked disgusted at her friend's insinuation, replaying even faster than Tris who had been totally unprepared to that kind of question.

"Oh, right... Hadn't thought about that" Chris looked lost in thought for a moment before adding " Well in case just to look and don't touch..."

"No hot father, no hot husband. Well, no father or husband at all, she's a single mother. Never seen or heard of a male figure expect for-" Tris was interrupted by Taeyeon saying "Oh, a single mother with two little kids… That must be difficult, I bet she could use some extra help" and Chris' face immediately lightening "Expect for? Spit it out girl"

"Expect for their uncle, they seem really close since they - especially Emily - just can't shut up about this famous 'Uncle Toby' and-" Tris glanced at her best friend who already had her mouth opened to question her but Tris beat her on the punch "Ah ah, I know what you're about to ask and my answer is 'I have no idea', haven't met him yet. I think he's out of town for business or something, the kids can't wait for him to come back, they question their mum every single day about his return so I might meet him next week or someday but I don't know"

"Don't forget to inform Chris when you two meet, she could arrange a date for you in a matter of milliseconds" Lynn said sarcastically making them all burst into laughter, well not Chris who just scowled at their teasing.

"And are they good? They hate school?" Al asked after a few seconds when the waitress left with their second course orders, it had been easy to kill about an half an hour between toasts, small talk and Tris' interrogation.

"Well they prefer playing but that's natural, James prefers his soccer work out session and Emily her piano lessons but they're both really fast learner so it just takes them half an hour to do their homework, they can stand that. Then they usually ask for some snacks around 4 p.m., then twice a week I take James to his training and Emily to the music school or we just go to the park that is five minutes walking from their house or just stay in playing together or I read them a book. Yesterday we met with a couple of Emily's classmates and on Wednesday we went to the cinema, a new cartoon was released but that was an exception"

"It doesn't sound bad at all, does it?" Cassandra asked.

"No, not at all. They're adorable and well behaved most of the time. But enough about me guys. You have no news?" Tris said hoping to finally change the subject, she had been the only one questioned for a good half an hour, eyes all fixed on her… not a really pleasant experience for a slightly shy and reserved girl.

"My girlfriend and I are organizing a two-week holiday in Mexico, I can't wait" Alex announced excitedly and everyone focused on the new topic, daydreaming about possible trips or holidays, places to visit, counties and cities to go to and future projects. A much more enjoyable and engaging subject that kept them busy until late that night when they eventually took different directions heading to the respective house or apartment after a well spent evening and some friendly catch up. It wasn't rare for them to meet every couple of weeks for a drink, a coffee, a pizza or a weekend together, after a couple years it was more like a routine, a normal and usual thing to do but not less pleasurable because of it. Out for a pizza or a movie, camping in the countryside, a weekend to the seaside, clubbing or an evening in… they always found ways to have fun and do something different every time and they got on perfectly together.

After a ten minutes video call with her brother Caleb and his four-month pregnant wife Susan Tris went to bed happy, the previous week glorious in her mind and the excitement for the following one to come already there.

 **Thank you for reading. Reviews and comments are always appreciated.**

 **Spoiler: We'll meet Tobias in the next chapter!**

 **~OceanicGirl**


	5. chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

 **WARNINGS** : *Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC*

 **DISCLAIMER** : I don't own The Divergent Trilogy or The Chronicles of Narnia

"I know, I'm sorry" Tris answered her mom on the phone while walking towards Emily and James' school and looking for a tissue in her bag, the phone trapped between her ear and her lifted shoulder, multitasking as ever.

" _You've never come this week, not even for a few minutes_ " Natalie's voice was not accusing or annoyed, she just sounded a little sad and off and Tris felt slightly guilty.

"I know mum, I'm really really sorry but I have my first exam on Friday and between my new job in the afternoon and classes on the morning I'm running a little behind schedule with my study. I promise I'll stop by and say 'hi' after my exam" she said thinking, not without a little worry, at her first exam of the year, she had to pass it with an high mark and it was in just two days...she really needed to study!

" _Come for lunch. You finish your exam and you come here, then you'll go pick up the kids. How does it sound? Your father will be home for lunch as well_ "

Tris happily accepted, she wouldn't have been able to tell her mum no - not hearing her pleading voice - but she had no reasons not to go, she hadn't seen her parents in five days when she normally was visiting them every other day or so, not that she or them needed to but they'd always been close so it was an habit for them to stop by or meet up even just for ten minutes to say 'hi' and catch up.

"Okay, sounds like a plan. Do I need to bring something?"

 _"No need to, I'll take care of it all_ "

Tris glanced at her watch, _shit_ it already was half past three and looking up Tris saw the first teachers followed by their young students coming out in the garden full of moms and grandparents, still a few meters between her and the school gate.

"Okay, thank you a lot. Sorry mum but now I really need to go, Emily and James have finished school. I'll see you on Friday and tell dad I said 'hi'" Tris said speeding up her pace.

" _Will do darling, have a nice day_ "

Fumbling putting her phone back in her heavy bag trying not to crush it between her laptop and her keys she jumped slightly in surprise at someone crushing on her legs, almost making her fall.

"Trisss" Emily squealed and put her arms up for Tris to pick her up in her arms.

"Hi sweetie, how are you?" Tris asked lifting the baby girl and smiling to her and her brother.

"I'm fine. Can my friend Niki come home with us. Please pwetty please" Emily asked batting her adorable sweet eyes at Tris who was smiling softly down at her, finding impossibly cute her inability to pronounce the letter 'r' in some words and hilarious the fact that, being just five years old, she had already learnt how to bat eyes and how to try and win people over. _At her age Tris was much more clueless!!_

"Well we'll need to ask your mum first and then hers as well, don't you think?" she said before turning her attention to James "And you? How are you? How was school today?" she asked ruffling his straight her by running her hand through it.

His lovely eyes looked up at her through his cute round lenses, a sparkle in them "Amazing. My Math test was super easy and I have no homework to do"

"Wow, this is extremely cool. What about you Emily?"

"Some exewcises. Can we go ask Niki's -"

"Emyyy" a squeal interrupted her but as soon as she saw a girl around her age, dressed in a pink skirt and white little T-shirt running towards them she started fidgeting in Tris' arms to be put down on the ground, free to run towards her friend and the woman a couple of steps behind her - her mum judging by the remarkable similarity.

"Hi, I'm Nicole's mum, Sarah" the woman said when in front of Tris, the two girls confabulating and giggling no stop beside them.

"I'm Tris, Emily's nanny. Nice to meet you. I've heard they'd like to spend the afternoon together, that's fine by me and I'm sure Emily's mum won't complain" she said with a kind smile, always polite and respectful.

"I know, Nicole had asked me but today we really need to go to my parents' so I'm sorry but today doesn't work. I'm sorry" Sarah's voice sounded really regretful, like she really was sorry for the two girls who seemed to get in really really well after just a week and a half of being classmates.

"Not a problem, we can do it another day. Even tomorrow if you don't already have major things to do"Tris proposed, glancing at the two happy and smiley girls.

"Yeah that sound better, tomorrow works for us, thank you" Sarah agreed before calling "Nicole, Emily, come here one second" as they arrived Tris kneeled down to be at their level "Today Nicole has other things to do so she can't come home with us but-"

"Oh no, please" Niki and Emily were both pouting.

"but, as I was saying, she's coming over tomorrow, how does this sound?" the happiness filling their eyes once again and giggling leaving their mouths.

"Yes yes, can she stay for dinner?" Emily asked excited.

"Well, tomorrow we'll see. We need to ask your mum before and now how about we head home? James has his training"

"And we need to go as well, we'll see each other tomorrow okay?" Nicole's mum agreed with Tris taking her daughter's hand in hers.

"Okay, see you tomowwow, bye" Emily said in her sweet innocent voice waving her little right hand, the left one sliding in Tris' warm one. The walk home seemed even shorter that day, the trio too absorbed into their conversations about homework, soccer, piano lessons, school, friends, snacks to eat at home and the book Tris had started reading them: a couple of chapters each day before Lauren's return, the two kids - who quite enjoyed listening to someone reading for them but usually just short stories or tales, not real long books - had fallen in love with the book Tris had suggested from the very first page or maybe even by the simple plot itself and now the reading time was something they were looking forward to since the morning. They had fallen in love with the story, the turning points and the characters - Emily's favourite one was Lucy while James' was Mr Tumnus - so much that even Lauren had been really surprised at that since nothing like that had ever happened before... The magic wardrobe, the enchanted world, the ambiguous and perfidious White Witch and the famous lion Aslan had them completely hooked. Tris had decided to read them that book as an experiment to this 'reading thing' because it had been one of her favourite books while growing up, probably the first one she had read all by herself in second grade - yeah she had always loved reading a lot and long books had never once frightened her, not even as a child.

"Go take off your shoes and wash your hands before coming back here with your homework, James you really have nothing to do? Not even revise something?" at that he bit his lower lips, a sparkle of guilt in his eyes "C'mon then, come back here in five minutes, the sooner we start the earlier we finish" Tris took a deep breath to turn into her 'teacher mood' before heading to the kitchen and filling three glass of orange juice for them to drink sat at square table in that room while doing some school projects and assignments.

That day it was quick, in less than half an hour Emily had finished her writing exercises - she was learning how to write block letters - and a couple of basic sums for the following day and James repeated his Science lesson in less than ten minutes and then even the History paragraphs they had done at school that morning, Tris couldn't help but be once again happily stunned by how fast they both were at learning things, it was incredible.

"You like History, Tris?" James whispered not to bother his sister who was still writing A,B;C,D,E,... with her blue pen on her almost new notebook with the tip of her rosey tongue trapped between her lips and her eyebrows slightly furrowed in her typical 'focused face'.

"I do, it's really interesting you know. You get to study ancient brillant populations: the Greeks, the Romans, the Egyptians,... Don't you think it's interesting?"

"Er, not really it's a little boring sometimes but surely better than Geography" He replied with a chuckle, he couldn't really stand that subject and Tris knew it, it was quite evident to be honest since he always complained about Geography lessons, projects and homework and, even if she was trying to encourage him and make that subject look a little more appealing, deep in her heart Tris couldn't agree more with him, she had always hated Geography as well.

"Done, I'm done. Can we eat now, can we read now?" Emily squealed being her usual loud and excited self.

"No, we'll read later. I have soccer in an hour and I don't want to miss the chapter. Please Tris wait for me to read" James pleaded looking at her with praying eyes, hope in them.

"Of course we'll wait for you, don't worry kiddo" she said smiling sweety down at him before adding "Why don't we go and watch his training Emily? It'll be great and fun, we'll cheer and root for his team"

"Okay but I'll bring Melanie" - her favourite doll- "and can we eat now pwease, I'm hungry"

"Of course we can, James go get changed and you baby girl go collect your doll and stuff while I make some toasts and fresh fruit"

Time flew once again between chats and bites, just the ringtone of Tris' phone interrupting them and their break.

"Hi" she answered after a couple of rings.

" _Hi, it's Lauren. How are you? How are things going?"_

"Everything's fine, just finishing our snacks before taking James to his soccer work-out session"

" _Nice to hear that, today is a good day, sunny and quite warm. Unfortunately I'm calling to tell you I have an important and urgent meeting in two hours and I honestly have no idea about when it'll be over so I may come home late, is it a problem? Can you stay longer? If you can't I'll call my parents asking if they can come over and watch the kids, even if my mum has a bad cold right now"_

"No, it's okay, totally fine. I can stay as long as you need me to, it's not a problem"

" _Thank you, I'm really sorry but it was unplanned. I'll call or text later to keep you updated, okay?_ "

"Perfect, we'll see you later"

" _Thank you, hi titches. See you later_ " she said loud enough for Emily and James to hear.

"Bye mum" the both screamed in sync from across the table a few seconds before Tris ended the call and reported the topic of her three-minute call.

"Do you have everything, right? You doll Emily? And your bag, James?" Tris asked once in her car before starting the engine looking at the two siblings in the rear-view mirror, starting the vehicle only after receiving two thumbs up and nods, she noticed Emily had her mouth smeared with chocolate on the right where her lower and upper lip, she made a mental note to tell her.

\--

"Go James, go go!" Tris was barely contain her enthusiasm as, after an unhappy first half of the scrimmage match between team-mates, James approached the goal post and scored a goal from a few meters. She couldn't help herself but stand up to cheer and encourage his time that, thanks to his goal, was now winning 8-7, even Emily who was much more interested in her doll than in the game shouted "Yeah!! Goalll!!" and started paying attention to his brother and his team that ended up winning 9-7 about ten minutes later.

"You played amazing, James. You were great! Two goals, wow" Tris said excitedly once he joined them out of the field after a quick shower and clothes change.

"We won! You watched me Emy?" she asked jumping around his little sister, a huge happy grin on his lips and sparkles in his eyes, adrenalin still filling his veins. He had performed really well and as Tris had happily spotted he had also been really loyal and friendly towards his rivals, he had also helped one of them up after a ruinous collision.

"Yeah, you were the best. Melanie rooted for you team too" she squealed throwing her doll in the air to collect it seconds later on their way to Tris' car, the ride back filled with excited comments about the match and James' victory, pride evident in the nanny's voice as she observed the two of them in the backseat with a smile on her lips, the two kids discussing some techniques, formations or whatever, really taken in their conversations not to keep track of the time or the road.

"Here we are, back home" Tris declared parking the car in front of their with steps and getting off it grabbing her bag in the process and rummaging in it looking for the keys, the 'bip' of the automatic lock of her car doors echoing after a few seconds while Tris was already unlocking the house one.

"Book! Book!" claimed the two kids as soon as they got inside, their shoes thrown somewhere as they rushed upstairs just to reappear seconds later with the book in their hands and almost jumping on the sofa, patting the space between them for Tris to sit there.

"One moment, one moment. I need to wash my hands and check if I have texts from your mum. Want some juice or water?"

"Can I have a cookie please, pwetty please?"

"Sure Emily, you as well James?"

"I'm okay thanks"

"Okay, give me a minute and I'll read some new chapters" Tris said disappearing in the kitchen taking a quick glance to her phone and finding no texts or calls by Lauren. She was probably still busy with her important meeting, not that Tris really minded... she had nothing important to do that evening, no classes, no night out...

"Here your cookie sweetie, hand me the book. Do you remember what we read yesterday?" Like this they started their daily appointment with 'The Chronicles of Narnia' that kept the three of them busy for the following hour or so, until 6 p.m. or so when they eventually stopped after four chapters and James and Emily retired in their bedrooms on the first floor while Tris, opening the fridge, thought about what to cook for dinner in an hour or so since it seemed pretty obvious that Lauren wouldn't have made it back in time before heading upstairs as well to join the two kids.

An undefined amount of time later the doorbell suddenly rang and its sound echoed in the big house reaching Tris who was kneeled down on James' bedroom floor tidying some of his toys - mainly plastic cars and planes - while he was in the bathroom a couple does down in the corridor and Emily in her own bedroom playing with some dolls. Before she could even slightly react she heard a high pitch squeal followed by the sound of steps and someone rushing down the stairs before the familiar 'click' of the front door opening.

Confused voices and sounds alerted an already-standing and worried Tris who, concerned and a little mad at the baby girl for opening the door, was already running towards the stairs and down to the ground floor, anxious to make sure everything was fine and Emily alright, to lecture her for the second time in less than a week but also curious to find out who had rung - it couldn't be Lauren because it was still too early for her to come back and they certainly weren't waiting for anyone.

"Emily Grace Eaton!" _Running through the dining room_ "How many times do I need" _running through the living room_ "to tell you" _finally in the hallway_ "not… to… open… the front… door" Tris voice faded vanishing form a scream into a bearable audible whisper, her voice trapped in her throat at the sight in front of her. Not only unable to finish her sentence but frozen in place as well, her mouth hanging open and her stare fixed on the scene and person in front of her.

There, a few steps by the door, stood the most gorgeous and good looking man she had ever seen, Tris couldn't really see his face clearly as he was turned towards Emily who was hugging his legs but she surely took in the amazing and perfect shape of his body that even covered by an expensive and smart suit looked fit and perfect. The man lifted up Emily in a matter of seconds and she happily wrapped her legs around his hip and, still lost in her stare and feeling like the time had stopped, Tris couldn't help herself and glanced up his form form the tips of his shoes - since she had been already looking down at Emily hugged to his legs for the previous seconds - moving her eyes up his blue smart trousers, then his white tight shirt, his sleeves rolled up his strong muscular arms, his expensive watch on his left wrist, his muscular chest hidden beneath the white really smart and expensive-looking buttoned up shirt, his red tie and-

"Uncle Toby" James shouted running towards them and throwing himself at the breathtaking stranger a few steps in front of a still frozen Tris.

 _Uncle Toby._

 _The gorgeous looking stranger was the famous Uncle Toby._

 **Tris and Tobias have… met… Don't kill me you'll get more of them in the next chapter, I promise but at least Tobias has officially became a character of this story!**

 **QUESTION:** Would you like to read something from Tobias' prospective? Let me know!

 **Reviews and comments are always much appreciated, thank you all.**

 **~OceanicGirl**


	6. chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

 **WARNINGS** : *Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC*

 **DISCLAIMER** : I don't own The Divergent Trilogy or The Chronicles of Narnia

 **POV** : Tobias' prospective

 _Beep beep beep..._

He had just adjusted the two big pillows against the head of the bed so that he could sit more comfortably with his back against the soft cushions when someone picked up the phone on the other coast of the States like almost every night for the past week. He would always call Lauren before going to bed around midnight to catch up and hear about Emily and James, sometimes managing to talk to them if they hadn't gone to sleep yet: bed time during weekdays was quite early for the two kids since the wake up call to go to school was around 7.20 a.m.

"Uncle Toby" Emily excited and happy squeal instantly put a smile on Tobias face.

"Hey little princess, how are you?" he had always been really really close to his sister's children and Lauren's ex-husband's departure had made their connection and relationship even stronger, he was well aware that what they had was unusual and quite uncommon but it was just a positive thing at his eyes, it was something special he wouldn't have changed for anything in the world.

"I'm fine, I'm really happy but I miss you. Come back please" her pleading tone with evident traces of sadness felt like a stab, he had left almost one week and a half before promising he would have been back soon but the trip hadn't really gone as planned and he was dealing with some problems and complications in New York, those errands impeding him to go back to Portland.

"I miss you too Emily, I'll be back as soon as possible, I still need to get my job done here but I blow you a kiss every night"

"I know, I feel it. I love you uncle"

"I love you too baby girl, you too. I promise you as soon as I come back I'll come visit you. When I land I'll come directly home to you and James, okay?"

"Yes please, I need to show you my new school bag and-"

"Oh yes you still need to tell me a lot of things about school titch, how is it? You like it?"

"Yeeees, it's amazing and I have a ton of new fwiends, one of them loves playing with dolls and we always play together" Emily said, her voice extremely excited and Tobias could picture her smiling on the couch in the big living room, her small precious hands holding her mom's phone, Lauren probably sat next to her.

"Really, it's-"

"Oh uncle uncle I need to show you I can wwite, I can spell your name now. Aren't you happy?"

"You can already write? It's great princess, it's fantastic really and sure thing you need to show me. In a few days, when I come back, you'll write me something and I'll hang it on the fridge with your other drawings and our pics, how does it sound?"

"Yeee, yee. I'll draw something for you and wwite 'For my uncle Toby'. Yeee, I can't wait. Come back soon please"

"Okay, I promise" he couldn't stop himself from promising it, he knew it was not in his power to control his business errands, some important meetings still needed to be done but he was quite fed up with staying in New York, that chaotic city felt nothing like home, his loved ones miles and miles away, his luxurious hotel room quite boring and cold "What about your brother? Can I say 'hi'?"

"Jameeeees" he almost got deaf at Emily high pitched scream as she called for her brother, clearly nowhere to be seen by her, her voice followed by a thud - probably she had abandoned the phone on the sofa to go and look for her brother - and voices in the background that Tobias could not distinguish, long seconds he used to stretch a bit before another bump announced him someone had picked the phone up again.

"Hi Tobias -" his sister voice was immediately cut off by a noisy whine, Lauren's sigh audible milliseconds before Emily chimed in "James is in the shower, I need to get ready to go to bed too. Goodnight uncle Toby, I love you"

"Goodnight baby girl , sweet dreams"

"Come back soon" Emily's voice already vanishing as she apparently had started going upstairs but still loud enough for

Tobias to hear it, her wish welcomed by a soft 'I promise' and a chuckle coming from Lauren's throat.

"Every night the same exact question: 'When does uncle Toby come back ? He's been gone for ages'. What happens little brother? Problems? Not to be just like Emily but I can't tell she's wrong, it's taking you a long time" A sigh left his mouth because he knew it even too well and it was like a burden, his prolonged silence broke by Lauren's voice "Hey, didn't want to upset you. I'm sure you have important things to do there and we'll be here waiting for you when you come back" trying to reassure and make him feel better, her previous words spoken with everything but the intention of upsetting her brother.

"I know, I know Lauren and I'd really want to just be there with you but things got a little complicated here and I still need to sort some things out. I'll try to come back as soon as I can, in a week at most. I've missed so many things, Emily and James' first school day on top of them. Ugh I hate these business trips"

"Hey I know but they understand and know your job is important and you can't do whatever you want, you have huge responsibilities… They- we just miss you. Look tomorrow we'll video call you around eight so we can catch up and talk for a longer time, not now because I really need to put them to bed, James is exhausted and almost fell asleep while eating, his training has been intense today because they're getting ready for some matches… I think he's already under his covers by now"

"Oh well I'll talk to him tomorrow then, wish them both 'goodnight' for me"

"Don't worry, I'll do it" Lauren was almost about to end the phone call but a sudden thought hit her "Oh Tobias I have to tell you this, Emily and James have both fallen in love with your favorite childhood book, they are totally hooked I swear"

"What? Are you kidding?" Excitement - mostly unjustified - filled his veins, he had tried to get them into reading for as long as he could remember, starting with James of course but then with Emily as well but he had never had really successful reaction so he couldn't believe they were now appreciating 'The Chronicles of Narnia', Lauren had to be kidding him.

"No, not one bit. I'm as shocked as you are but it's like this and I think it's all thanks to Tris-" she stopped for a second "Wait you haven't met her yet, have you? You were already gone right?"

"She's the new nanny, isn't she? No, we've never met but the two titches have told me about her and they sound enthusiastic" Tobias, still lying on the bed, tried for the first time to picture this Tris, she had to be pretty special if not only Emily and James adored her but she had even managed to make them develop a passion for books… Well he couldn't really visualize her since his niece's description hadn't gone further than 'really pwetty' - yeah with a w and not an r - 'fantastic' 'great', 'fun', 'sweet' and 'blonde'... he couldn't do much with just these few adjectives but sure he was eager to meet her at least once. He didn't know why but he pictured her as 40 year-old motherly lady or something like that but he was well aware of the fact his imaginary was most likely just an unfounded and mistaken supposition.

"Tell me that. They love her, she's really great at her job and she really knows how to deal with kids. Very professional and accurate, absolutely nothing like Molly. God she was terrible" Tobias couldn't help but chuckle at the memory of the previous baby-sitter Lauren had hired… babysitting was not her job and children not really her thing, she was more like a 'Oh my God I have my nails painted and had a manicure last week so I can not cook, I can not play oh and I'm also wearing my new boots so no way we're going to the park with all that mud, all those balls'... I let you imagine, so yeah his sister ha been forced to fire her.

"Hey listen Emily's calling me I need to go but we'll video call you tomorrow if that's okay"

"I'll be waiting, goodnight you three" as the phone went silent Tobias took a few minutes to think about his family, his niece and nephew in particular and decided that the day after he would have worked as hard and as much as possible to conclude and sum up everything he had to do in New York so that he could fly back home within Saturday, he was really growing more and more fed up with that trip, his family missing him and vice versa. One last glance at the hotel room to make sure his clothes - suit and shirt - were already waiting for him and the window was closed. The red little lights of his alarm clock drawing 00.57 on the black screen, it was probably late for most people but he wasn't really a sleepy type, he was used to rest 5 or 6 hours per night maximum so it was quite normal for him to go to bed around midnight or even later and get up around six or seven in the morning for his daily run, we was used to it and it felt like a routine - the lack of sleep not really bothering him and that was a blessing since we often needed to stay up until late at night to finish some paperwork, business things or to organize events or other meetings: running a business was not easy at all plus he had always been a really accurate and precise person… Not easy at all!

\--

After a 'thank God' safe landing and once gone through the check in and gotten his luggage and stuff back he immediately headed to the airport park car where his vehicle was waiting for him. A glance at the wristwatch told him it was 6 p. m. local time and despite being tired and slightly messed up because of the jet leg he decided to go to Lauren's directly, not even bothering to change clothes - smart suit, buttoned up shirt and tie would have made it, not really the most airport and kids fitting outfit but business errands had kept him busy all morning and he had even risked to miss the train to the airport! It was more or less an half and hour long ride from the airport to Lauren's house so she would have arrived around dinner time but he decided not to call his sister or the text her, he wanted to surprise Emily and James knocking on their door unexpectedly. Just this thought putting a smile on his tired and worn out face - the flight had been exhausting and he was not a fan of heights and planes but the prospect of seeing his beloved niece and nephew cheered him up visibly.

It was already quite dark on the streets, a lot of fast cars speeding with their red and yellow headlights on producing flashes of brightness. Despite the cool air Tobias rolled down the car window and took a deep breath, the breeze smelling like home and helping him awakening from the slightly numb state he was in because of the long flight, his favourite soul and blues singer's voice spreading throughout the vehicle, the music notes covering the traffic and horn sounds contributing to the change of his mood from annoyed and bored to happy, peaceful and content.

The thought that Lauren and the kids could have been out or at his parents' place crossed his mind when he was just reaching their house but he was soon reassured when, accessing their road, he noticed the lights on in the upper floor, both Emily's and James' rooms lit and didn't even realize that Lauren's car was not parked where she was used to station it, the parking lot free for him to place his car - he was already picturing the two kids' reaction at his surprise as he hurried off the vehicle, locked it with his remote and headed towards the building hopping up the few steps to the front door, taking a deep breath before pressing the doorbell button.

His already huge smile widened even more when - seconds later - he heard confused sounds inside, someone was clearly rushing down the stairs and even a squeal - Emily's - reached him. Not even twenty seconds had passed when Tobias came face to face - well more like face to legs - with his little angelic niece who threw herself to him hugging his shanks and kept on emitting squeals and content sounds not really decipherable apart from 'Uncle Toby, Uncle Toby, Uncle Toby'. In a matter of moments Tobas bent down and wrapping an arm behind her knees he lifted her up easily until their eyes were on the same level "Hello princess" he whispered before being attacked by Emily who started to shower him with small soft pecks all over his face, her small chubby hands on each side of his head keeping him in place. Tobias couldn't help but chuckle at her sweet action when inside he was actually melting with love for the little precious baby girl in his arms, from the outside they could easily seem father and daughter when actually he was just his uncle but since her and James' births he had always taken his role quite seriously - probably thanks to his lifelong closeness to Lauren - and his strong feeling and constant presence had even strengthened since... well since his sister's husband Kevin had suddenly left running after some younger chick he had lost his head over, totally forgetting about his responsibilities as an husband and father and leaving his family behind, not turning back again.

He kissed Emily's nose in response when she stopped her kisses attack and the two of them whispered each other their 'I miss you' and 'I love you' in one another's ear when another "Uncle Toby" echoed through the house as a running James approached them rushing down the stairs doing the exact same thing his sister had done just a minute before and threw himself against his legs wrapping his arms around his uncles' waist.

Once heard the scream Tobias had lifted his head breaking the eye contact with his little niece to turn his face towards the direction James' voice had come from and looking towards the living room and stairs he had noticed the thin beautiful figure standing at the end of the doorway for the first time since he had entered but in a matter of milliseconds he had to turn his attention to James who had crushed against him.

"Hey big boy" he smiled at him, his eyes sparkling the same way his nephew's ones were as he bent down once again and lifted him as well with the other arm, the two kids now both secured in his arms, their legs wrapped around his hip – Emily on the right side and her brother on Tobias' left, the three of them lost in their happy silent interaction for a few seconds before Tobias plant a kiss on their cheeks before kneeling down and letting them go to finally take a few steps towards the unknown gorgeous girl who was staring at them nibbling irresistibly at her lower lip.

With James by his side and Emily holding on to his trousers he took the three or four steps towards her, taking in her exquisite appearance, her golden hair, grey-bluish eyes, fair skin and rosy lips, a little shock evident in his eyes despite her soft shy small smile. Tobias could only guess the expression on his face looked quite shocked as well… She, the young beautiful girl in front of him, had to be… Tris, the new nanny, the one he had pictured as a forty-something year old woman… He had been just so wrong, so wrong. Shaking his head to distract himself from his own thoughts he eventually extended his right hand after a few seconds of staring in surprise.

"Hi, I'm Tobias" he said with a plastered smile on his lips in the kindest and most friendly voice he was able to make, her reaction making her even more beautiful at his eyes, her own shy smile lightening her face.

"I'm Tris, I'm the new nanny" her voice was soft and gentle just like her hand in his, the sound like music to his ears and the contact feeling electrified and causing a shiver to run down his back as he immediately added "It's a pleasure to meet you, Emily and James here have told me amazing things about you" cute blushing appeared on her face at his words and she waited a few seconds before answering, probably trying to calm her heartbeat "Well about you as well, they both seem really fond of their 'uncle Toby'" This time was Tobias' turn to blush slightly and it was not something he was used to do often, not at all.

Their little moment of embarrassment and silence this time broken by Emily "Uncle Toby can you come with me, I have to show you my new doll and my school stuff " her pleading tone winning him over even if it was quite hard for him to look away from Tris' captiving soft eyes "Oh I also have a drawing for you with an inscwiption as well. Come come" tugging his trousers for him to follow her upstairs, a small smile thrown at the newmet Tris in excuse as he catch up and followed Emily who literally pulled him upstairs, the couple followed by James while Tris fumbled with her thoughts, not sure about what to do or how to act but certainly taken aback by the meeting and especially by the man who had just introduced himself as Tobias in a kind and friendly deep voice, she eventually decided to follow them upstairs when the little boy invited her with his hand but stopping at the entrance of Emily's room where they were, giving them some privacy, allowing her eyes to roam over them and observing their domestic and happy interaction closely before finally really joining them on Emily's bed when Tobias - making eye contact - invited her over with a nod of his head, eager to catch up with the two kids but also get to know her, already really intrigued.

 **Tobias is officially a character now, how was his P.O.V.?**

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter, reviews and comments are always much appreciated.**

 **Thank you,**

 **~OceanicGirl**


	7. chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

 **THANK YOU:** Thank you all for your reviews, follows, favs and PMs, they really mean a lot to me and I'm so glad a lot of people seem to like this story! Thank you!

 **WARNINGS** : *Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC*

 **DISCLAIMER** : I don't own The Divergent Trilogy

The sound of the key in the front door keyhole brought a little confusion in the kitchen where - until the moment Lauren arrived - Emily, James, Tobias and Tris were enjoying a late snack sat around the table by the window admiring the red, orange and yellow leaves dancing in the wind creating little colorful vortexes in the beautiful garden while sipping some fruity hot tea and devouring the cinnamon orange cookies they had prepared and baked once back home after school.

It was a Friday afternoon - an exact week had passed since 'Uncle Toby''s return - and since both Emily and James had absolutely nothing to do - no homework, no music lesson, no soccer training - and it was really cold outside Tris had had to improvise something, walking home holding the kids hands they had passed in front of a supermarket and this amazing idea had hit her, James and Emily's reaction to the proposal to bake a cake or some biscuits had been priceless and the decision had been quickly taken: that afternoon they would have cooked.

The doorbell had rung while they were still in the middle of preparing the dough and when Tris had opened the door Tobias had come face to face with quite a cute and adorable sight: his nephew and niece were wearing their small aprons and their hands were covered in pale orange mixture but what he could not look away from was the kids' nanny, her shy and sheepish smile, her flushed cheeks that were both red in embarrassment and white in flour, her perfect teeth nibbling at her lower lip and the cute tip of nose covered in the white thin powder. He had found himself physically unable to tear his gaze away for a moment, the girl in front of him appearing more and more beautiful and desiderable with each day and they had already met six times...yeah because since his return from New York he had been hanging out at his sister's place every single day and Emily and Jason hadn't been the only reason of his assiduous visits, not that they minded.

At first coming face to face with Tobias had been hugely embarrassing and awkward for Tris who was well aware of her condition but she had soon shaken her head and taken a deep breath in order to calm down and make her heart beat slower, fighting the effects he seemed to always have on her. _Stupid Tris, back on track._

This way, barely giving him time to take his coat and shoes off, Tobias had been recruited to help them in the cooking process, quite a funny and hilarious show if you consider that he had come to Lauren's directly from his office so he was wearing his work clothes: smart pants and a white shirt that had immediately ended up covered in dough and crumbs, he hadn't seemed to care about it and had even taken part in a flour fight with the kids driving Tris crazy at first but then she hadn't had any choice but to join the battle as well, the kitchen soon transformed into a total mess that had taken almost half an hour to be cleaned up while the cookies were already in the oven.

They had had so much fun cooking, both Tris and Tobias had acted as carefree silly and unworried children themselves for a couple of hours, their laughter echoing throughout the whole house, Emily and James overjoyed and thrilled. But it had also been quite a tiring and laborious activity that had left them all quite spent so a relaxing and well-deserved break had followed the preparation, the baking and cleaning up process.

They were in fact enjoying a hot cup of tea and their delicious cookies when, surprisingly earlier than usual - the clock hands still pointing to 5.20 p.m. - Lauren arrived back home, Emily and James happily rushing towards the hallway to greet her with a hug, loud noises and screams, the words 'cookies', 'baking' and 'flour' the only things Lauren understood of all that din.

"W-What happened? Are you okay?" at Lauren question the two kids just started screaming and interrupting one another all over again, their mum even more confused than before "Quiet" her loud voice higher than Emily and James' managing to calm them down a little bit, in that exact moment Tris appeared form the kitchen door smiling at the two excited and jumping creatures and their mother.

"Hi"

"Hi Tris, what happ -" Lauren's voice - now more polite and kind - didn't finish the sentence as her brother emerged from the room as well, following the kid's nanny, his eyes smiling as well as his lips "Tobias, hi. Here again? You've been visiting everyday" she says chuckling but taken a little aback to see him there, it was not like they were not used to him hanging out at their place quite often but 'everyday' really meant 'every single day' "Trying to make it up for when you were in New York?" her tone held everything but accusation and Tobias scratch the back of his neck slightly before mumbling something like "Kind of" not really wanting to give away the other part of the reason, still fighting internally against his inexplicable strong attraction to Tris before adding "You want a cookie? We've baked some" in an awkwards - and not unnoticed by Lauren - attempt to change the topic, his sister smiled quite knowing at him but dropping it anyway.

"Cookies? You've made cookies?" she said in a light and surprised tone looking down at her son and daughter before asking further details they happily and excitedly shared before dragging her to the kitchen to show her and for Lauren to try them, the two kids feeling really proud of themselves when their mother exclaimed "Delicious, they're amazing. Titches they're super yummy" before taking and biting a second biscuit, Emily clapping her small soft hands in joy and James wearing a pleased expression on his face looking extremely cute with his round glasses and smug smile before running to the table, collecting their cups and cautiously carrying them in the dining room where some of their toys were abandoned on the big wooden table to start playing while sipping some of the hot fruity tea.

"One second, Tris?" Lauren stopped mid eating a cookie covering her half full mouth with her left hand, the right one holding a nibbled biscuit "You got Tobias to help you?" her tone incomprehensible, a mix between incredulous and slightly accusing Tris couldn't really understand, she had no idea where Lauren was getting at. Her confused expression must had given away her total confusion and this caused Lauren to start laughing hard glancing between the poor nanny and her own brother who apparently got what she was referring and hinting at since his face turned from relaxed and smiley to horrified in a matter or seconds.

"Lauren" Tobias' glare was intimidating and his deep voice was now quite threatening, Tris could tell even if she was facing his sister and he was standing tall behind her "Lauren don't you dare" Lauren's laughter was unstoppable and it took almost a couple of minutes for her to finally calm down, tears in her eyes. In the meantime the poor uninformed nanny who still had no idea what was going on kept on shifting her eyes from Tobais to Lauren and vice versa, looking for an explanation since she was for sure confused.

"I have to tell you this" Lauren started after taking a deep breath still shaking with chuckle.

"Lauren!" Tobias stern and slightly embarrassed tone interrupted her but it didn't seem to bother her as she didn't change her mind "I'm sorry little brother" - yeah he actually said 'little brother' at what Tris couldn't help but throw Tobias an amused smile - "I have to tell her this. At least to prevent it from happening again, I don't want my house burnt down" Tris, who finally seemed to have understood what had previously happened or at least she had a clearer idea about what was going on, couldn't help but tease him "Tobias what have you done?" his cheeks were flushed and Tris let herself enjoying his awkward cuteness for a second before cussing at herself.

"It was nothing, it was an acc-"

"Nothing? You're kidding right? He almost set our house on fire trying to bake a cake once. How old were you? Twenty? Well he didn't really know how to turn the beep off and he ended up rotating the temperature know the wrong direction, let's just say he obviously burnt the cake and he was close to burning down the whole house as well. The firemen had to come and we were taken to the hospital where they run tests on us to make sure we were okay" while Lauren was talking Tris face turned from shock to hilarity then to worry and finally concern but she soon burst into laughter at the sight of Tobias' face that was now on fire but with embarrassment.

"You" laughter "Your really did that?" laughter.

"It was an accident" was the only thing he managed to say at his discoulp once again scratching the back of his neck.

"Well Thank God I set and turned off the oven myself this time" Tris said laughing and evoking a deep chuckle from him as well, most of his embarrassment dissolving as he actually admitted to himself that had been quite a memorable accident and his sister kind of had the right to tease him, the amusement in Tris' sparkling eyes making him feel slightly better. Sure he hadn't really done a great impression but he had made her laugh, and women like men who can make them laugh, right?

"Okay, I'll admit I was quite a troublemaker while growing up" he said with another chuckle thinking back at some of his biggest mischiefs.

"Oh really? I want to hear some of them" Tris couldn't help but chime in, intrigued by anything related to the man standing now beside her, leaning against the door jamb.

"Tobias, don't you dare sharing them in front of Emily or James, they do not need to improve their troublemaking-ness. Do it and I'll-"

"Mommy you called me?" Emily's high pitched voice interrupting that 'adult conversation' as they moved to the livingroom finding the two kids playing with dolls and plastic dinosaurs looking happy.

"No little princess, don't worry" her uncle reassured her, his tone clearly softer and sweeter as he took a couple of steps until he was right behind her, his hands going to her golden locks as Tris glanced at the wall clock - six p.m. almost time to-

"Yeah Tris, you can go now, you've done quite enough this afternoon and I'm sure you could enjoy some rest or a night out or whatever. Thank you for the cookies and for watching them of course" she said nodding towards her son and daughter.

"No problem, really. It was extremely fun. Thank you, I'll see you on Monday"

"Sure, thank you again and have a nice evening" Tris lips smiled kindly in response.

"I'll go as well, I still have some paperwork and stuff to do" Tobias said kissing her niece and nephew goodbye before hugging his sister "I'll see you on Sunday?" asking her just to make sure she still remembered about their plans and their family lunch at their parents' as he headed towards the doorway collecting his things and handing Tris her jacket before opening the door "Bye" they both screamed at the same time, their faced directed towards the inside, as he hold the wooden door open for her to step out before - as a real gentleman! - earning a knowing smile from Lauren who couldn't wait to start and tease him about his not so well hidden interest even if she didn't really know how she felt about it and how he felt about her, anyway she had always loved teasing her brother.

"Well then… bye" Tris started once hopped down the small steps

"I'll see you on Monday" _stupid stupid stupid why are you assuming you'll see her on Monday?_ Tobias cursed at himself "I mean...next week...or whenever..."

"Well I'll be here on Monday" Tris chucked at his rambling trying not to get lost in his dark deep eyes, always so captivating and sensual - _Tris don't you dare, don't stare_ \- and managing to make him laugh as well, he couldn't remember laughing so hard and often and he was sure he had never felt this embarrassed and awkward in years and years, he was a successful thirty-year old businessman for God's sake, not a teen dealing with his first immature crush.

Wait. Crush? Tobias scowled at himself, who had ever mentioned having a crush on Tris? A crush? That was what was 'wrong' with him? He had a crush on her?

Better shaking that thought away and trying to pretend it had never crossed his mind, pretend everything was normal with Tris even if deep inside his inner voice persisted in arousing doubts in his mind and he was unable to shut it up.

"Okay, I'll see you then. Have a nice evening and weekend. Uh and thank you for today, it's been fun and the little titches loved it" He said taking his car keys out of his coat pocket, a 'beep' announcing his vehicle's doors were now unlocked, and smiling at her

"Totally fun, we have to do it again some times" at his happy nod she finished wrapping her scarf around her neck and headed towards her home after giving him a last smile and wishing him 'a good night and a great Saturday and Sunday as well', it would have taken her about twenty minutes but she enjoyed that chill air that made her feel alive, luckily the wind had calmed down and it was no longer quite freezing outside, anyway at home she would have prepared another tea or infusion, it was the right season: Autumn had officially started and one thing Tris loved about it, apart for the colorful leaves and the breathtaking red and orange landscapes, was sipping some hot relaxing beverage while reading a book. It was paradise to her and that was exactly what she wanted to do once home that night, not a crazy or loud evening out. It was Friday and she was exhausted.

\--

"And Susan? How is she? And my little niece or nephew?" Tris asked to change the subject, she was happy to hear her brother's voice and loved him but wasn't really that fond of his scientific explanations or progress and couldn't stand more than ten minutes of that. They both had had busy weeks and incompatible timetables so it was their first call in like five days and sincerely Tris would rather hear something about his niece/nephew more than some DNA new theories or God knows what.

"Susan… she had to stop working because our peanut is giving her some problems, she must rest for a couple of weeks, staying in bed most of the time and you know how she is… not really enthusiastic about it as you can guess and-"

"But the baby?" Tris voice full of concern and worry.

"Don't worry he or she is fine, just a little too wild" Caleb said faking annoyance but Tris could get the small amount of worry in his voice.

"He's going to be a fighter, a rascal. I love it" she said chucking trying to picture her future niece or nephew running here and there, up and down, hiding in every possible hole or closet and making a mess in their apartment, throwing Caleb's science magazines everywhere and spilling Susan's still half full coffee cups all over some important documents. Hilarious. Tris couldn't wait to see his brother, a wreck nervous and everything but patient and practical, dealing with all that, she couldn't really wait.

"Any name idea?" Tris asked, deep inside her the fear her brother would have named his firstborn after some scientist or biologist, she wouldn't have let that happen and she was quite confident Susant would have been against it as well so she didn't really listen to her inner voice that much, they wouldn't have permitted him to call him or her something like Albert Einstein or Isaac just because of Isaac Newton, no way.

"Uhm not really but there's still time to think about it, we don't even know the gender. What about Mama and Dad, how are they doing?"

"Not bad, we've had lunch together today, Granny was also there, she's visibly better now. Thank God, that fall down the stairs was super dangerous, she could have gotten killed. She's back to sprightly again"

"I had no doubt, she's like Wonder Woman or something" they both couldn't contain their chuckle, it was true: at her age - 84 years old - she was still incredibly lucid and quite 'sportive' as well compared to other people her age, her bones were quite fragile and the fall had shown it for sure but she was till very lively.

"I'm glad to hear this anyway, you know I should be able to take a couple of days so probably next week or in the near future we'll come and visit you all, if Susan is feeling better and our little fighter calms down of course"

"Really? Yeee, I can't wait" a squeal left her mouth and it quite surprised herself as well, was Emily infecting her somehow?

"Yeah sis, and what about your-" audible knock and ring at Tri's' door stopped Caleb mid question and took Tris aback: it was Saturday night and she was enjoying a chat with her brother, it was 9.30 p.m. ... who was out of her door?

"One second, someone knocked on the door, I'll go and open. If it doesn't get too late I'll call you later, okay?"

"But who is it?"

"No idea, really"

"You sure? You don't have a mysterious admirer or even worse a boyfriend, do you?" despite his attempt to keep his voice light and playful she certainly didn't miss the panic and protectiveness behind it.

"Don't worry, no boyfriend and no admirer" _Unfortunately_ "Now I really need to go or they'll break down my door and you'd be the one to blame. Bye" she said chuckling before ending the phone call and heading from the couch to the small hallway, with each step the bang on the door getting louder, this had to be Chri-

"Tris come open this damn door, I know you're in there. Get you lazy ass here please, I'm freezing out here. Beatrice Daisy Prio-" her bestfriend's insistent voice didn't stop until Tris reached the door know and opened it coming face to face with Chris who was wearing a mini dress, her coat open and no scarf or hat even if outside it was windy and quite chill, it was late night after all, almost night.

"What you're doing here? And I bet you're freezing, you go around half naked" was the first thing Tris said before stepping out of the way to let her come in, her best friend's face visibly relaxing once stepped in, the warmth of the house already showing its benefic effects.

"I am not half naked, I have these amazing fishnet stockings" she stated matter of fact, Tris shook her head unable to stop her eye-roll. Incorrigible. "They're keeping you warm I bet" she muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing" she said louder "Why you're here?"

"Will had to leave for work or something so I'm by myself this weekend so here I am. At my bestie's to have a super girly night" she said as if it was obvious, Tris should have known it, it was not like it hadn't happened before in fact this time Chris was equipped: an huge shopping bag full of sweets, candies, ice cream and 'girly night food' in one hand and dvds in the other, her excitement never leaving her, her malicious and inquisitive eyes already sparkling in anticipation, that glitter that meant just one thing: torture.

"Get ready girl, it's gonna be so fun" at this Tris expression was like 'Uhm yeah, sure' fake enthusiasm written all over her face but soon enough she gave up, it was useless to fight Christina, if she had decided they would have had a girly night that was it, girly night it was.

Two baggy pajamas and two spoons later they were sprawled all over the comfortable couch, a dvd already on to 'create some atmosphere' for the 'girly stuff' that would have followed.

Tris couldn't let Chris know about a certain blu eyed attractive man she was slowly getting to know and that, for mysterious reasons, had a strange effect on her, her mind and heart, her best friend couldn't find out about his gorgeousness and her seemingly unsuccessful attempt to get him out of her head, Chris couldn't find out anything about Tobias, no way. Tris would have never seen the end of it and she could already picture Chris setting a date or organizing something, planning out a trick or something. No way, no way. It was not like there was actually something to say, not really anyway but even the smallest detail or the smallest hint to a possible interest would have made her best friend go wild... no way, no way. Tris had to figure that, whatever it was, out by herself, find a solution, something to keep him out of her mind and interest, the fact that they were often together and close surely wasn't helping but Tris had to find a way, it was absolutely unprofessional and she just couldn't' let anything happen, she had to fight herself and her stupid attraction sparkle. No, no. Chris was not going to find out!

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter, reviews and comments are always much appreciated.**

 **Thank you,**

 **~OceanicGirl**


	8. chapter 8

**CHAPTER** **EIGHT**

 **THANK YOU:** Thank you all for your reviews, follows, favs and PMs, they really mean a lot to me and I'm so glad a lot of people seem to like this story! Thank you!

 **WARNINGS** : *Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC* and a lot of dialogs

 **DISCLAIMER** : I don't own 'The Divergent Trilogy' and I don't own 'The Lord Of The Rings'

" _Hello_ " Tris ran to pick up the telephone, her answer sounding a little breathless as she had rushed downstairs at the insistent ringing, the kids following her excited and curious to see who was calling at that hour, it was a little past four in the afternoon and they had come back home less than half an hour before, Emily and James busy doing their homework until seconds before.

" _Hi, it's Madeline Parker from the 'Music and Singing school'. May I speak to Mrs Eaton please?_ "

" _I'm sorry, Mrs Eaton isn't home right now but you can tell me and I'll report it. I'm Tris Prior, Emily and James' nanny"_

" _Sure things, I just wanted to say that unfortunately Emily's lesson is cancelled today, her piano teacher isn't feeling well today. I'm sorry_ "

" _Oh_ " she said before stopping and turning towards the two kids and mouthing them to keep quiet because it was difficult for her to understand what the lady was saying because of all their noises and interruptions, the two of them falling silent immediately at her glare. " _It's not a problem, I hope she'll feel better soon_ "

" _We do as well, I'm sorry for the short forewarning. She has just all in sick_ "

" _It's totally fine, no worries. Will the lesson be postponed or we're just skipping this week?"_ she asked pulling out of her trousers pocker a blue pen, ready to write down the new information.

" _We don't know yet, we'll keep you updated and let you know, okay?_ "

" _Sounds perfect, thank you. Have a nice day"_

" _You too, bye_ " she had not even ended the call and put the phone down on the living room sideboard that Emily and James both assaulted her with questions "What happened? Was it mama? Who was that? Everything okay? News?"

"Calm down a little bit kids, will you? Weren't you supposed to be upstairs doing your homework?" a barely visible flash of guilt appeared in their eyes just to disappear seconds later leaving space to goofy smiles on their lips making Tris chuckle before adding "It was Mrs Parker from you music school Emily, your piano lesson is cancelled because your teacher is not feeling okay" the sudden turn down of her lips, her pouty and suddenly sad face made Tris feel bad reminding her of the baby girl's excitement for this particular lesson "I'm sorry honey" she kneeled down and caressed her soft cheeks trying to comfort her, she had finally managed to play a long and difficult piece on Sunday and since then she had been so excited and proud she had played it no stop and she had even showed her progress to anyone she could possibly think of: her mother, brother and uncle of course but she had also called her grandparents and putting them on speaker she had played for them to hear even if they had seen and had lunch together just five or six hours before that Sunday and of course as soon as they had arrived back home the following day she had dragged Tris upstairs and played that piece twice, a proud and excited smile never leaving her angelic beautiful face.

"I'm sorry dear but I'm sure your teacher will swell with pride next Thursday. Okay? Smile fo me honey" It was weak and didn't reached her eyes but Tris saw it, a small soft smile playing on her lips that were back turned up.

"Tris and what now?" James asked pulling at her jumper and looking up at her, a little chocolate on his mouth as a leftover of their snack.

"Well now you go finish your homework but then we can do something special" she offered even if she had no idea about what to do.

"Yeeeah, something special. Yeaah" Emily squealed back to being happy.

"I'm almost done with it, Maths is so easy and we just had a couple of times tables"James said rolling her eyes as Tris playfully messed his hair, his skills making her feel proud, it had nothing to do with her of course but she felt proud anyways.

"I have just to paint my awt class drawing, can I finish it later?" she asked batting her eyes at the nanny but she was not going to give up as she immediately shook her head no "No, no missy. That won't work with me" she said laughing at the memory of her batting her eyes and her Uncle Toby managing to win her over in a second "You finish your homework first and then we can do something special. We have a deal remember?" they nodded, well behaved as most of the times, sprinting back upstairs to their school assignment and projects eager to get them done and looking forward to whatever special Tris had planned: another cooking session or maybe a games date as the one they had had the week before, totally unplanned and organised in a matter of seconds on the phone as Niki's mom had called Tris to invite the three of them over for Emily to play with her classmate and they had had a lot of fun, even James that at first hadn't been really enthusiastic about it had left their apartment with a smile on his face, Niki's older brother's lego being 'super cool and amazing'.

Tris let herself fall down on the Eatons' couch seeking for a minute of relax and peace, her face betraying her tiredness, three stressing days and a big exam being the cause of it. It was Wednesday but her week had already ended she could say, the big difficult test was behind her now, her hell of a morning exhausting but at least now she was free and ready to relax for the for the following three days and sure thing that night she would stayed home, alone and asleep. She just really wanted to sleep for a day and a half if possible to make up and recover from her night study sessions that had forced her to barely sleep for four hours per night, the upcoming exam too important and difficult to be taken lightheartedly.

Something special. What was she going to organize? For once the house was silent, no one screaming or teasing one another, no piano music echoing form upstairs, no one was reading out loud, they were almost done with the book Tris had started reading them almost a month earlier, one hundred pages to the epilogue and then she would had to think about a new story to read them since they had make it obvious that they loved her reading and wanted to continue.

 _The park_ , the idea hit her out of nowhere but she couldn't believe she hadn't thought about it yet, I mean walking the two kids home after school she had been surprised to notice it was not cold outside when in the past week or so a quite chill wind had blown no stop making it impossible to spend time in the garden or at the park but that day the temperature was okay, not warm or hot obviously since it was already October but definitely not freezing. Yes, she was going to take them to the park to run around, play and have fun, she was sure they would been happy about it so when she asked them and they didn't start squealing and jumping in excitement, their faces looking deep in thought she was definitely confused, well at least until Emily enlightened her, her sweet and angelic voice explaining the reason of their insecurity.

"But what if Uncle Toby comes here while we're at the park? He promised to stop by today" Tobias… Tris hadn't seen him for the previous three or four days because of the weekend, his job related errands and meeting on Monday - first week-day he hadn't showed up at his sister's place after his trip to New York - and because of Lauren's early return from work the day before: the two kids had told her he had arrived just minutes after she had left but had promised them to visit the following day as well.

"Oh right kiddos, I forgot about it…" and now? she needed another idea, a special plan B but she had absolutely no ideas "We could…"

"Can we go to the park anyway, please? We haven't been there in ages" James asked timidly, Tris hadn't missed the way his face had lighten up at her proposal before his sister's reminder.

"But what about Uncle Toby? He's coming here" Emily insisted as Tris nibbled her lower lip, not really knowing what to do because it would have been rude to go out since Tobias had promised to stop by but it was a great day outside and with winter approaching she didn't know when they would been able to go out and play again…

"Call him. Tris call him and tell him to join us there" wha- "Yeees, call him Tris, call him. He loves the park. Call him. Call him" Emily and James' excited squeals filled the room and Tris ears. Calling him? Calling Tobias? No, she was not going to do it. She had to shake him off her head not to call him. No, no. That was not gonna happen!

"That would be perfect if he could join us but unfortunately I don't have his number" she said trying not to sound stupid or too obvious, those two were incredibly clever and perceptive "I'm sorry but it isn't poss-"

"I know his number by heart, I can call him. Yeah yeah yeah" What? Why did Emily even know his number by heart? She couldn't deny it anymore and eventually gave the little baby girl her own mobile phone for her to compose Tobias number while she tried - and failed - to slow down her heart beat and take deep breaths to calm her nerves. It was just a phone call and she felt silly and embarrassed to be anxious about it, a silly teenager all over again - not that she had been a silly teenager once.

 _Beep, beep, beep._

 _Deep breath. Deep breath. Deep brea-_

" _Hello_ " his deep voice sounding professional and extremely masculine sent shivers down her back and it took her a seconds or two to recover from those chills.

" _Uhm hi Tobias. It's uh it's Tris_ " she said and cursed under her breath to her shaky hands and unsure voice, thank God Emily chimed in helping her because she had no idea about what she would have said after that awkward greeting _"Hi Uncle Toby"_ she said cheerfully and loud enough for him to hear.

" _Hi Tris, hello princess_ " he answered quickly, a smile forming on his lips even if obviously they couldn't see it.

" _I hope we're not disturbing, if we are w_ -"

" _No worries and no disturb Tris, I was just sitting at my table doing some online stuff, quite boring actually but I haven't told you that, okay?_ " his contagious chuckle making Tris laugh and blush at the same time.

" _Well we called because we're thinking about going to the park since it's not too cold outside and… well Emily and James here wanted to let you know since you promised them to stop by later. They.. they wanted to know if you could join us there…"_

" _Uh let me see…_ " and just like that they organized and planned the afternoon, Tobias canceled a minor meeting but didn't tell Tris that because he knew she would have complained so she basically told her he had nothing to that he couldn't do that night or the following day… it was a lie but a really really innocent and white one so it didn't really matter, right? He told it anyway partly because he was quite bored and didn't look forward to another three hours sat at his desk doing paperwork or other job stuff but also because he had missed not seeing her on a daily basis and had a couple of things to ask her, his family Sunday lunch had been quite full of news… In less than half an hour he was heading outside, a five minutes drive separating his workplace from the park so when he arrived Tris and the kids had only been there for ten minutes or so, their extra sweatshirts on and coats zipped up running behind James' ball surrounded by a small group of other children their age while their nanny, sat on a wooden bench, was keeping an eye on them all, a soft smile playing on her lips at the kids' happiness and the content grins Emily and James were occasionally throwing at her, their eyes shining with excitement and their cheeks flushed.

What she was certainly not expecting was for someone to silently approach her from behind without her noticing before covering her eyes with their hands "Guess who?" at Tobias unmistakable voice Tris let out a chuckle in her usual cheerful attitude, for once his carefree and playful side shown and Tris loved it as she loved the feel of his breath on her neck and his hands softly on her face, his scent filling her nose because of their proximity.

"Mmm. I don't know. James? Is that you?"she said trying to sound as if she really had no idea but she obviously failed.

"Terrible actress I'm sorry" he laughed taking a sit next to her on the bench, turning towards her so that they were almost face to face before putting his left arm behind her, the feel of his hand just millimeters from her shoulder thrilling.

"Hi" he finally said once sat down, back to slightly timid but his lips were still up and his dark blue eyes sparkling a little bit, blushing under his stare Tris nibbled at her lower lip, now her turn to step back a little and compose herself, the knot in her stomach tightening against her will.

After an awkward first minute they fall into a friendly conversation about everything and nothing, interrupted just once by his niece and nephew that as soon as they had noticed his sat by Tris had ran towards him and thrown their arm around him trying to convince him to stand up and 'play with them already' and had only calmed down and turned back to the other children when he had promised he and Tris would joined them in a little bit, after their talk.

Tobias was determined to get to know her better since at their family lunch three or four days before he had realized he didn't really know a lot about Tris apart form a couple of normal things and simple stuff he had learnt spending afternoons with her at his sister's, for example he had known for quite a long time that she wanted to become a teacher but had no idea she was still attending and taking part in particular and unique classes, he know close to nothing about her friends family interests and he had felt like shit when Lauren had mentioned her upcoming exam and he knew nothing about it so he was willing to take the opportunity and play a sort of 20 questions game with her. He was intrigued and knew almost nothing about her, how was it even possible? He decided that since it seemed impossible to fight or suppress his feeling at least he was going to get to know her well, it helped that she did look interested in knowing him better as well.

27 years old, a degree in Science Education and a master in 'Dealing with syndromes and illnesses at school' in progress, becoming an Elementary school teacher being her biggest dream, orange her favorite color, spring and summer her favorite seasons and period of the year. Traveling all over the world something she'd loved to do as well as volunteering for a nonprofit association one day, reading her biggest passion along with growing flowers in her small garden; baking and writing short stories something she found enjoyable and relaxing. Her worst habit being nibbling and biting her lower lip - as if he hadn't already noticed that and found it impossibly cute and sensual at the same time - and her best family tradition being decorating and exchanging handmade presents at Christmas. Christina her best friend's name, Caleb her brother's, Susan her sister in law's and still unknown her first niece or nephew's one.

A degree and a couple of masters in Business and Economy, his birthday on the 2nd of March, 30 years old and a big passion for photography, art and books. Black and bordeaux his favorite colors, spring his favorite season, one of his goal being getting another degree in Philosophy this time and having his own children. An endless love for Emily and James, his favorite food being lasagne, ice-cream and grilled meat and vegetables. His favorite music genres soul and blues, his worst habits scratching the back of his neck when nervous and having trust issues most of the time - at what Tris was quite taken aback, a little bit closed off and shy she had noticed but she hadn't imagined him having problems dealing with people, that 20 questions game was certainly a little overused and all but still useful and valid after all. A little claustrophobic and heart wounded once but he refused to share further details about the topic Tris immediately changed the subject finding out that he had-

"No way. You can't possibly say you love reading and then telling me you have never ever read The Lord of the Rings. You can't possibly haven't read it, it's like the best and amazingly written novel of all times and my favorite book as well" Tris' shock was definitely visible on her face, her eyes wide and her mouth falling open, her hands in the air, her gestures frozen in place.

"How is it possible? You must read it, you must. You're a thirty-year old booklover who has never read it, impossible. You must make up for it!"

"Uh mmm I don't really know. You see I'm not really into the fantasy world and genre anymore, I-"

"But it's not fantasy, it's just 'The lord of the rings' genre. Listen you must read it" he couldn't hold back a low deep chuckle at her over enthusiasm and excitement loving this side of her and he couldn't help but tease her a little "I don't know, I'll think about it…" keeping it vague.

"Let's make a deal: you tell me your favorite book and if I haven't read it yet I'll do it but you must read this one, it's essential" her hands kept moving in the air drawing circles and other forms to emphasize her words, her breath forming white small clouds in front of her mouth, the lampposts - that they hadn't noticed had lighted - creating strange light effects around them, the 5.30 p.m. darkness surrounding them and their bench, kids' squeals and happy voices echoing between the now red and orange trees.

"Ah ah missy, I know what you're trying to do but I'm not falling in your trap. You're trying to make it sound casual but I know it's my turn to ask you a question not the other way around so if you really want to find out which is my favorite book you'll have to find another way" Tobias says teasing her, a goofy yet knowing smile on his face at what Tris couldn't stop herself from laughing hard at his joke and sense of humor and without really noticing she moved her hand so that it was now resting on his own on the bench, this simple touch sending a small shock of electricity up her arm making her realize it hadn't been their first casual touch that day and that they had actually moved closer to one another, their legs just millimeters apart, occasionally bumping and brushing. Yeah, he had touched her wrist and hair a couple of times and she had rested her hand on his bicep and shoulder when she had noticed it was the first time she had ever seen him in not work clothes and had asked him about it, the gym and casual clothes bags he was used to keeping at his workplace being the answer.

If it hadn't been for Emily and James eventually reminding them of their duties and promises dragging the two adults with evident and growing chemist towards the play field - a soccer game going on - they would have spent more and more time just chatting friendly, getting to know each other more and more deeply and just chuckling and sharing light touches, powerful and meaningful little touches. A lot of laughter, goals, kicks and falls - yeah, even falls butt on the ground - later they were sore and even a little cover in mud here and there, flushed, slightly sweaty, their hair messy and they're breath short but content and smiley for sure, happiness carefreeness written all over their face when they eventually went back home where Lauren was already waiting for them and sent the two children upstairs in a matter of seconds for them to get cleaned up while offering Tris and Tobias a glass of water which they refused, tired and willing to get home, eat a soup or something and get under the covers - well at least Tris wanted that.

That night Tris agreed and accepted the ride home she had refused a couple of times during the previous two weeks, that night Tobias found out her address - address and phone number in the same day… that hadn't been bad! - and drove her home for the first of many many times, something special and different surrounding them after their long talk, something was in the air, an aura lingering around them…

 **Hope you enjoyed the chapter, reviews and comments are always much appreciated.**

 **Thank you,**

 **~OceanicGirl**


	9. chapter 9

**CHAPTER** **NINE**

 **THANK YOU:** Thank you all for your reviews, follows, favs and PMs, they really mean a lot to me and I'm so glad a lot of people seem to like this story! Thank you!

 **WARNINGS** : *Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC* and a lot of dialogs

 **DISCLAIMER** : I don't own "The Divergent Trilogy" and I don't own "The Lord Of The Rings"

It was Sunday and Tris was driving to Lauren, James and Emily's house not to work but she was heading there to attend the family lunch and party to celebrate Emily's sixth birthday, she couldn't stop her smile thinking about that, her heart beating extremely fast with excitement and honor to have been invited to their family lunch and - in all honesty - even a little bit out of nervousness, not really because she feared she would felt out of place because she was used to the house and know Lauren, the kids and Tobias really well by now and she had always been comfortable around them but maybe, just maybe, meeting Emily and James' grandparents had her heart racing the slightly bit. Her excitement and her happiness were absolutely bigger tho, her smile just getting wider and wider and a pale red blush tinting her cheeks as she got closer to her destination, a lot of memories of the past two weeks swirling around her head, most of them involving Tobias and not really helping her keep her excitement under control... memories of delicate, forbidden and electrified touches; memories of rides home at night; memories of growing chemistry and sparkles between them. Thinking back at that she really couldn't keep her blush at bay, vivid memories and images flashing in front of her eyes, scenes she had dreamt at night and thought back at a lot in the past days, unable to stop her mind from heading there, her undisputable attraction more and more difficult to deny with each and every day.

Memories of her coincidentally meeting him at a bar a Saturday night when she was out with her course-mates to celebrate their positive results in the difficult and very important exam she had told him about while he was enjoying a few drinks with a couple of his friends - Zeke and Uriah - he introduced to her as she acquainted Cassandra and Alex to him. Memories of him looking extremely good in a pair of blue jeans and a partly unbuttoned white shirt, far more casual than the ones he was used to wear at work but not less hot-looking on him, memories of her mouth dry and her sudden warmth, memories of her skin burning under his touch when he had hugged her and her heart beating so hard she feared he could hear it when he leaned in and swirled one of her locks. Memories of his friends throwing knowing glances at him and obtaining cold and threatening looks back, memories of her embarrassment when she had realized he had told them about her, memories of the strong drink she had ordered burning in her throat as she drank it all at once. Memories of her giggles and his hands playfully touching her in what she had told herself a million time was a friendly gesture but felt oddly and excitedly intimate.

And even more memories of a couple days later when Chris had found out about him and things between them - not that there was something clear or defined in their relation if you can call it it - partly because of her ingenuity, partly because of her best friend's curiosity and partly because of a text... a Tobias' text. Yes sir, she had found it out because of a box of chocolates and a "Glad to hear it! See you tomorrow!" text, both coming from Tobias: the first one being a congratulation present he had given her the afternoon for her passing the exam - yeah, exactly the one they had celebrated the previous Saturday night - and the second one being a reply to a pic she had sent him, a pic of his box of chocolates half empty and a ton of little golden aluminium foils all over her kitchen table and the caption "My best friend and I enjoyed your present very much as you certainly can tell!". Yes, because that night once home she had invited Chris over because Tris knew her too well and knew those had always been her favourite chocolates and that had turned into a 'girly bestie night' and even more so when, while in the bathroom, her phone had emitted a ring and the screen had lighten up on the kitchen counter in front of Chris, the ID name surely catching her attention as she read "Tobias" and his text as well and, God knows how, she had unluckily remember a certain 'Uncle Toby' Tris had mentioned just once and at least a month before... Tris hadn't seen the end of it until like four in the night - or better morning - when Chris, finally happy with all the things she had managed to make her spill, fell asleep on Tris' bed. And just like that she had find out about him and, even if Tris hadn't told her a lot of things, of course she had gotten her attraction to him immediately and her denials to her best friend and herself as well had all been unsuccessful, in that moment Tris knew Christina wouldn't have left her alone about it and she had slapped herself for having invited her over and for that damn text because she knew her attempts to forget, deny her interest and stay professionally would been even more useless from then on.

Thank God she had managed to omit and keep some things for herself only because otherwize Chris would have started planning out their wedding that night and she wouldn't have seen the end of, like ever. The growing sexual tension had been left out of her story and that time in Lauren's kitchen as well... oh that time, just the memory had her swallowing hard, her hands gripping the steering wheel even tighter until the knuckles turned white and she shook her head forcing that thought out of her mind... the memory of his chest against her back, of him hovering her from behind, his hand reaching and pulling down the cup she had tried grabbing for the past two minutes, on her tiptoes her 'height' still not enough; memories of his abdominal muscles against her, memories of his hot breath on her neck and then - when she had turned around to face him - on her head, the feeling of is arms on the counter behind her, one on her left and one on her right trapping her; memories of their noses almost brushing, their eyes and mouths just a couple of inches apart and electricity running between them; memories of his intense gaze that had her frozen in place with her breath erratic. Memories of her strangled whisper "Isn't this forbidden? Or at least really unprofessional?" and his deep sexy voice "Probably, but I do not care", his answer leaving her breathless and flushed, her stomach tightening and fighting a soft moan that really wanted to escape her mouth. No, no, no. No way she was telling Chris that!

No, that had been left out but she hadn't been that lucky in many occasions: the previous afternoon she had been forced to admit and spill some other things because Chris wouldn't have let her go without knowing - for example - the 'valid excuse' why she couldn't join her at the beauty salon for a complete treatment on a ordinary Sunday morning… And she hadn't been pleased - their salon session suddenly looking far less appealing than some good juicy gossip and a 'love occasion' - until Tris had finally yet reluctantly admitted that Tobias had insisted for her to come and that, even if it had been Emily the one who had invited her and looked upset when she had told her that she would surely called but it was not really appropriate for her to attend a family lunch, it had been him to deny her stupid excuses and ask her to come, to be there… you can imagine Chris' reaction to this confession, Chris that was already in her operative mode trying to take each and every opportunity to learn more about him, pushing and encouraging Tris to make a move, hit on him or something, already ready to set them up herself if her best friend wouldn't done something soon.

Tris shook her head, slowing down her car to let a small family cross the road and silently prayed God Chris would never had the occasion to meet him and carry out her diabolic plan because she had already had plenty of embarrassing moments caused by her best friend and even a ton of bad gaffes she still got embarrassed over every time she thought back at then or one of the many came up during a fiend or family night. Chuckling trying to shake bad memories away she couldn't agree more with that famous author that once had told that 'best fiends are our greatest enemies when it comes to make fun of you' - jokingly and in a friendly way of course!

Focusing back on the street and her breathshe shook away all those pleasant and embarrassing memories trying to come back to reality, the shining purple and golden wrapping paper of Emily's present helping her as she fantasize about the little baby girl opening it and hoping she would have liked it even if she was quite confident about it: a book full of scores and songs for her piano practise and a handmade fabric doll she was sure Emily would loved despite Christina had tried to make Tris buy a more fashionable and girly one the previous afternoon but no, Tris had stood firm on her first choice and now driving to the party she actually couldn't feel more happy with her present, proud of her instinct and decision.

It only took her other five minutes to reach her destination where she parked next to Lauren's car and another small vehicle she had never seen so assumed was her parents' before stopping the live jazz CD she had been listening to and taking thirty seconds to look into the inside car mirror to make sure she wasn't a mess and took the opportunity to fix her hair a little bit even thought she knew for sure that it would have been slightly messy again because of the wind outside so eventually decided not to put too much effort into it, it would have been useless anyway so... Emily and James didn't even give her time to make it to the door and knock before they opened the door excitedly and urged her in, she was still on the steps when the two of them greeted her with their hands and joyful smiles, their eyes shining and a festive atmosphere surrounding them.

"Tris" "Tris" happy squeals welcoming her in, party decorations, lights and balloons all around them in the hallway as they wrapped her in a tight hug that screamed affection and trust before Tris stood up and, placing her present down for a few seconds, lifted Emily up in her arms and swirled her around a little bit making her chuckle "Happy Birthday Emily, happy happy birthday princess"

"Hello Tris, welcome" Lauren's voice broke the eye contact between them as Tris placed Emily back on her feet to turn her attention to the hostess, stepping forward to greet her as well with a smile and a friendly soft hug.

"Good Morning, thank you again for having me over. It's a real pleasure"

"The same goes for us, Emily's so happy you're here and she's not the only one..." she said throwing Tris a mischievous smile before adding "Speaking of him... He should arrive in a matter of minutes, he texted me he was running a little late but please now give me your coat and make yourself home as usual. Come, I'll introduce you to my parents, they're in the living room looking forward to meeting you since nobody seems to be able to shut up about you" she said and Tris blushed at her words, smiling softly at the floor before following James and Emily's mum through the hallway and living room, eventually reaching the one she was looking for. She was slightly taken aback by the sight of them, especially the tall and classy man who got up from the couch the second he heard someone coming in, immediately turning to face the door and rising his big hand in a matter of seconds at the sight of Tris who started at him for a second, impressed by the strong similarity between him and Lauren... two peas in a pod really, you barely could spot any difference apart from gender and age, absolutely impressive.

"Good morning, I'm Marcus" he said shaking her hand, his voice deep and his good manners a little old-fashioned and chivalric but in a pleasant way, his face remaining serious.

"I'm Tris, it's a pleasure to meet you both" she said looking between Marcus and Tobias' mother who introduced herself as Evelyn with a motherly smile and a hug as if they had met before, Tris couldn't help but notice the difference Tobias had told her about during one of their long conversation on the cosy couch with nephew, niece and peluches playing on their knees: his mother all outgoing and cheerful, his father quite silent, closed off and authoritative but - as Tobias assured - a complete softie with his grandchildren: such a strict father he had once been, such a loving grandfather now, always ready to spoil Emily and James beyond limits… grandfatherhood had incredibly changed him in better and all thanks to two little creatures, after all Emily and James had managed to steal Tris' heart in a milliseconds: they were just irresistible!

"Hello Mum! Good morning Dad" Tris stood up from the couch at Tobias' voice and turned towards the man she hadn't even heard had arrived as he hugged Evelyn kissing her cheek as well and shook his father's hand before turning towards her, his lips immediately smiling widely as he took the few steps separating them and greeted her properly, staring directly into her eyes and tucking one of her locks behind her ear making her blush under his intense gaze in front of all his family… First of many many more oddly intimate touches and eye contacts of the day, starting with the table disposition arranged by Lauren who had of course sat the two of them side by side looking forward to occasions and opportunities to throw knowing looks at her brother, mischievous smiles often playing on her face whenever she saw a sparkle of chemistry between Tobias and Tris or even more when Tobias realized his arm had migrated and was now resting on the nanny's chair seat back without him controlling it…

Thank God she was not there when, busy in the kitchen where they were placing some dirty plates and glasses while the others were around the table where Lauren was getting ready to cut the cake, Tris started teasing him: "Wow Tobias, you look extremely sexy, that party hat really does suit you" she said unable to hold her laugher back any longer as she had just had a hard time not bursting into laughter in front of everyone since the moment Emily had handed a party hat to everybody to make it look more like a birthday party lunch and she had even gifted her favorite uncle and Tris with Hawaiian flower necklaces.

"And you're speaking?" Tobias asked laughing while pointing at the young woman in front of him who really looked like a clown or something in that moment, a funny expression adding characterization to her six-year old party look but in that really exact moment she couldn't look more beautiful to him, beautiful and amazing inside as well as outside: not only gorgeous but even cheerful, carefree, kind and lovely… a mix he hadn't been able to resist, a growing attraction he hadn't been able to suppress, a chemistry he had felt since the very first time, a warmth inside he hadn't been able to control whenever she was close, actions controlled by his instinct and heart, not his brain, he had been totally powerless to avoid, dominate and his mouth he had lost control over, his courage and confidence coming in waves replacing his awkwardness and seriousness for a few minutes, his voice forming words he hadn't planned on emitting… exactly what happened then, that day in Lauren's kitchen.

"Go out on a date with me"

Seven words, simple and rather short but meaningful and brave. Not a question, more of a statement. Seven words that surprised Tris not less than what they surprised Tobias, the one who had spoken. Seven words followed by a heavy silence broken by Tris' cheerfulness and teasing attitude - much more playful and courageous - a few seconds later.

"I'm sorry but I can't go out with someone who has never read The lord of the rings… You better do something about that" her chuckle leading him to breathe again and relax slightly.

"Okay" bending down he inhaled her amazing scent "challenge accepted" he whispered in her ear, his lips brushing lightly against her fairy skin before turning into a smirk at the feeling of her shivering at his action, under his hot breath on her neck and eventually taking a step back once satisfied putting some distance between them again, triumphant and blessing his liquid courage (coming from God knows where) that in a matter of seconds had done what his awkwardness and insecurity had stopped him from doing for the past two months. Unnecessary adding that his niece's birthday party had turned into the best he had ever celebrated, a plastered smile never living his face for the rest of the day - and night when he found himself grinning at the ceiling while in bed, very conscious of the new book waiting for him on his nightstand, a nearly one-thousand-five-hundred-long tome he had just bought - and his confidence and happiness suddenly boosted.

He had finally asked her out!

 **Thank** **you all, hope you enjoyed. Comments and reviews are always appreciated.**

 **~OceanicGirl**


	10. chapter 10

**CHAPTER** **TEN**

 **THANK YOU** : Thank you all for your reviews, follows, favs and PMs, they really mean a lot to me and I'm so glad a lot of people seem to like this story! Thank you!

 **WARNINGS** : *Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC* and a lot of dialogs

 **DISCLAIMER** : I don't own "The Divergent Trilogy" and I don't own "The Lord Of The Rings"

Tris was really enthusiastic about going back to work - the exact opposite of most people -, she honestly couldn't wait to see Emily and James again after their week-long Autumn break around Halloween, she had missed them and was genuinely eager to go and pick them up from school in a little more than half an hour, she was early and she knew it so she didn't hesitate before stopping by a local bakery to buy some special cookies she knew they would have loved as a snack to eat once home while doing some homework or their reading thing. She hadn't see them for the past week, almost ten days between their short holiday and Sundays and Saturdays so she was sure it would have been an interesting and chat filled afternoon, her mood was great and she really really couldn't wait to hug the two of them tightly. Despite not meeting they had made sure to text her on Halloween night to show her their wonderful costumes - a zombie and a witch - along with their sweets and candies boot and the jack o'lanterns they had spent a whole afternoon carving all together, five wonderful and scary pumpkins to create strange and ghostly shadows on the front door: one made by Tris, one by Lauren, then Emily's one, James' one and finally the one carved by Tobias, the funniest because of its eyes at different levels and the fact he had completely forgotten to shape tooth. God they had laughed so hard that day and ended up covered in orange and sticky pulp. Yeah, their last afternoon all together before the break had been lovely and Tris couldn't help but realize day by day how deeply she cared for them, how strong their bound was, how important those two kids had become in less than three months...unbelievable.

Well in all honesty even their uncle, the famous Uncle Toby she had met two weeks after her first day as Emily and James' nanny, was becoming more and more close to her, conquering her trust, slowly but inexorably eventually winning her over, oh yeah he had managed to win her over somehow, despite all her attempts to keep their relationship professional or at least strictly friendly l... Useless, it had been all useless as their chemistry had done nothing but grow and grow, their friendly, comfortable and teasing attitude leading them to unexpected results... They had a date set now, it would have been his prize for reading her favourite book, she had been just joking that day at the party but the teasing had stopped when he had whispered "Challenge accepted" in her ear, taking her breath away with his closeness, everything and nothing had changed that moment... Their eyes were visibly brighter, their small touches meaningful and amplified, their eye contacts more frequent and their chemistry unmistakable but their teasing and light attitudes were still there, their waves of confidence followed by awkwardness and shyness and then mischievousness were still there as well as their capability to be silly and goofy around one another. Their date would been his last prize, the sixth one but they hadn't set a day yet because as fast and avid as he could be it was still a tome so she had promised herself not to worry or freak out in advance, she had to act normally and sure thing she couldn't let Chris find out something about their challenge nor about their date because no, no way she was willing to let her best friend drag her shopping everyday for a month or even more to find the 'perfect dress' or something like that, no way. She had even omitted to tell her they had gone out one afternoon, for a simple coffee and a slice of cake but still they had hanged out, just the two of them and not for a working-related thing! Just the thought of it had her hyperventilate slightly and despite she scold herself she didn't sound really convinced or convincing at all and she wasn't even able to control the flutter of her heart. That had been the first of his prizes because despite the original challenge and prize set during Emily's party hadn't mentioned any other prize apart from the final date, the following Monday Tobias had claimed other five gifts if you can call them gifts, yes sir because while in the bookshop he had found out The Lord Of The Rings was not a single tome, no: it was composed of six books with different titles and linked but different stories so he had readily claimed five other smaller prizes and well... Tris hadn't denied or declined his idea... So yeah they had had the occasion to meet even during his niece and nephew's break, it could have seemed a simple coffee between two friends since no holding hands, no caresses and obviously no kisses were involved but they knew better, they felt better as chills and thrills had filled their veins, their proximity had felt intimate and their legs bumping had felt thrilling as ever, Tris knew Chris would have called it 'sexual tension' and Tobias was sure his sister would have named it something similar, she would probably have said something like "Lovebirds, the tension is palpable... useless to deny it or pretend I'm misreading"... yeah Lauren had been teasing him since the moment she had grasped his interest - something like a week after his and Tris' first meeting or even earlier - but thankfully hadn't been too obvious in front of Tris, even if well she apparently hadn't held back her tongue with their mum...

The ring of the school bell and the hordes of kids and teachers distracted her from her thoughts and she found herself standing on the tiptoes to have a better view of the school garden and of the groups of students coming out of the big building in front of her trying to spot Emily and James' heads in the crowd. And she manages to, two cute elfs with their school bags and colorful wood hats to protect them from the chilly air looking slightly lost o the garden steps until their eyes met and their lips turned up in a smile, their legs quickly running in Tris' direction to hug her, eager to embrace their nanny after what had felt like such a long time.

"Tris" their happy squeals and affectionate gestures made her heart flutter even more as she bent down and kneeled in front of them to greet and wrap her arms around them properly, the process lasting some minutes as Emily immediately hugged the nanny's neck refusing to let her go until the cold temperature got the best of her and, always holding Tris' left hand, she started heading home, James on the other side of the beloved babysitter.

"How are you titches? How was your first day back to school?"

"Great, I got to see all my friends apart from Melissa, she's sick I think" Emily said in her usual cheerful tone looking up at Tris with her big eyes before James added "It was fine and I have a new science project to work on. I have to do some researches about wild animals and I've chosen to study lions, tigers and giraffes. I can't wait"

"Wow it's amazing, I bet you'll have fun and you know what I should have a book about dangerous animals and environment, if you want you can use it as well, I bought it in South Africa in a natural reserve"

"You've been in Afwica?" Emily asked her with her mouth opened in surprise, amazed and curious.

"Yes, I went there three years ago with my brother and his wife. It was amazing, I got to see weals, lions, rinos and so many incredible animals! I'd like to go back there one day, you know I love travelling" she said smiling at the pleasant and wonderful memory.

"I want to visit Canada, one of my classmates has been there in these past days and he's seen bears" James chimed in, his eyes shining with interest as they kept on talking about places and cities to visit all over the world - India, The Fiji, Paris and Rome, Greece, Chile, Spain and Australia, Moscow and Berlin - until they got home and, free from homework or imminent deadlines, decided to enjoy the afternoon between the kitchen table with their cookies and cups of tea and the couch where they chatted, caught up and read their book for a couple of hours. Tris shown them a pic of her own Halloween costume - she had dressed up as Wednesday Addams with black wig, dark and heavy lipstick and all - earning impressed and stunned expressions, her similarity with the famous cartoon character incredible but, just as she told them, it had all been thanks to her sister in law that, despite her now really swollen belly, had taken care of all their make ups. She had spent three days at Caleb and his wife's house and they had really enjoyed themselves, she had always been incredibly close to her brother, grown up almost as twins because of the minimum age gap - less than a whole year had passed between their births - and bonded over the years and even more since his dating, engagement and finally marriage with her longtime friend Susan who was now pregnant with their first child. The couple couldn't been happier and Tris was extremely excited as well, ready to welcome her first niece or nephew already despite there were still three months before the due date, she was already thrilled and eager to meet him or her, she had been since Susan and Caleb's announcement back in July, she remembered everything clearly - yeah her squeals and happy dances as well and her mother watery eyes too - and it had been listed as one of her best family memories of all times. Captivated by her costumes and pics Emily and James asked her to show more and more already making plans for the following year Halloween party, even if it had taken place like four days before they managed to get excited about the following year's one making Tris heart flutter with happiness at their cheerful attitude, their ability to get thrilled over that kind of things, their vivid imagination and their own happiness and squeals.

Later that afternoon Tris' phone started ringing: it was Tobias who called to say 'Hi' to the three of them, because of a boring but necessary meeting he wouldn't made it that day but refused to skip their daily thing and promised them to stop by the following day with a surprise... you can imagine James and Emily's excitement and eagerness since "Uncle Toby's gifts are always the best" and when Lauren came back home from work they kid of attacked her the second she opened the door questioning her to find out what his surprise was or at least get some details but it was all useless since Lauren knew nothing about it so they eventually gave up and let her breathe before claiming that they were hungry and starting questioning her all over again about dinner this time, Tris couldn't help but laugh at Lauren facial expression as she dramatically feigned to look defeated and pooped at their second round of insistent queries. A couple of minutes later - once grabbed her coat and bag, kissed Emily and James' foreheads and friendly hugged their mum goodbye - when she left she was still laughing and chuckling, feeling light and relaxed and took all the necessary time to enjoy her walk home protracting her stroll by choosing the longest way just to walk through the park, that way she managed to enjoy the autumn lively colors well aware that in a couple of weeks cold, freezing wind and bare trees would replaced all those orange, red, brown and yellow leaves.

Still not ready to head home she stopped by her grandma's place and ended up staying over for dinner but soon regretted her decision: the 84 years old lady had thankfully recovered completely from her terrible fall on the stairs and was now sprightly as ever and - since apparently that was 'questioning day' - she obviously didn't bite her tongue and managed to embarrass Tris with her questions and insinuations when her phone started beeping with texts and the poor girl wasn't quick enough to wipe her smile off her lips and Rose noticed it, her sixth sense telling her something juicy was behind her grand-daughter shy smile, something boy and boyfriends-related and of course, willing to find it out, one of the most embarrassing talk Tris had ever taken part in started, all because of a Tobias' damn text saying "Just a couple of chapters to the ending of the second book. It's time for me to decide my second prize, isn't it?" soon followed by a ";)" emoticon. Most embarrassing conversation with her granny ever, because you all know how grandmothers are, don't you? Curious and all girly despite being octogenarian and the worst part is that they just don't give up and somehow sense and intercept hidden feelings or things you just really didn't want to spill, how they manage to do such things is a mystery but still Tris left that house red as a tomato, internally cussing her awful decision of stopping by and fearing that, despite she had refused to spill details and answer most of Rose's questions keeping it vague, her granny could have gossiped.

"Tobias Eaton, you're in trouble" she texted him once safe home, a long phone call followed as well as deep laughter on Tobias' side as he found her grandma's interrogation extremely hilarious earning a couple of "Fuck yous" form Tris that even jokingly threatened him not to give him his prize because of the hard time he had indirectly gave her, useless to say his charming and silly attitude eventually had the best as she starting chuckling along with him admitting the whole story sounded at least funny - but not exhilarating as he kept on asserting - and they ended up changing topic and talking about many different things for an hour or so until eleven in the evening when - once ended the phone call - they both had a huge grin plastered on their lips for the rest of the night… Okay maybe it did but just for a couple of minutes when she took her usual ten minutes to apply the burnings cream on her back and stomach and accidentally scratched one of the still not completely healed up scars she had gotten during her heroic baby's rescue causing her to curse under her breath and her face to deform in pain but just for a short time, as the pain vanished her grin appeared once again on her face and didn't leave her until deep asleep as well as her eagerness for the following afternoon to just come already.

 **Thank you all! Don't hesitate to leave a comment or a review, they're always appreciated!**

 **Have a nice week,**

 **~OceanicGirl**


	11. chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

 **THANK YOU:** Thank you all for your reviews, follows, favs and PMs, they really mean a lot to me and I'm so glad a lot of people seem to like this story! Thank you!

 **WARNINGS** : *Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC* and a lot of dialogs

 **DISCLAIMER** : I don't own "The Divergent Trilogy"

 **Really long chapter, enjoy**

As the doorbell rang and her last lesson of the morning finished Tris collected her book and notes and joined Cassandra in the hall of the building where both of them had spent the past five years studying, getting a degree and multiple masters. It was kind of late but they were used to it since their Tuesday lessons - even if they were not in the same class - had always finished around 1.30 in the afternoon so it wasn't really a big deal and they had a weekly thing that consisted in late lunch together and some of their mutual friends if they hadn't had lunch before. That day Chris could make it since she had had an extremely busy morning trying to organize a fashion event, call and invite press photographers, minor models and all so she hadn't even had time for her lunch break and immediately texted 'I'm in' at Tris' proposal on their friends group chat. Marlene and Taeyeon - Lynn's Korean-American girlfriend who had easily and quickly become part of their group almost two years before when the two of them had started dating - managed to join them as well and their friends lunch turned into a girls one, not that they complained… especially not Christina!

"We could try a vegetarian cheap restaurant, Paul's been there with some colleagues and said it's amazing" Cassandra suggested explaining where that place was and they all agreed, just a 5 minutes walk from their meeting point and none of them regretted their choice entering the restaurant and reading the menù as every single thing sounded - an then looked and tasted - delicious, it was a veggie Indian place and every single thing they ordered and shared was absolutely divine and colorful, some of then spicy some others sweet and sour, a couple of them fired but everything was amazing and tasty so they took their time and enjoyed a long chat filled lunch without worrying about work or afternoon lessons.

"Any juicy news?" Chris asked as soon as the waiter left their table now cover with many dishes and full glasses. She had always been the one to break the ice, the most outgoing and gossips lover and, as predictable, that day it made no exception. At her friends' silence she rolled her eyes and added "Okay I'll start, Will is taking me to a weekend out of town in a few days, I'm extremely stressed because of the upcoming big fashion event on Friday and I've been working no stop and crazy hours for the past two weeks but this weekend I won't be available for anyone, he told me it'll be just the two of us, no distractions, no constrictions. I can't wait! I hope he'll take me to a five stars hotel or something because I want to spend two whole days in a spa, I swear" she said and we all ended up laughing at a past memories.

"I know you could easily do that, you know like that time when you literally fell asleep while getting a massage in the Turkish bath room" Marlene said between laughter as the five of them didn't manage to stop until their stomachs hurt and a couple of tears had rolled down their cheeks that hurt as well.

"What can I say, it was heaven" Chris said lifting her shoulders and taking a bite of food "What about you? C'mon"

Taeyeon asked them help in order to organize a party for Lynn's birthday that was in three weeks and this kept them busy for at least twenty minutes as they discussed possible gifts, locations and party stuff without really coming to a defined conclusion but with a couple of great ideas to work on and than Marlene changed the subject into something girly-er as she shyly said she had met a guy in a club the previous weekend and that he had asked her number and they had been texting back and forth for the past three days.

At this news Chris' squeals were irrepressible as this kind of girly and boyfriends-related things had always been her favourite, her shining eyes and her jump on the chair two good indicators along with her screeches "And? What were you waiting for? Spill spill spill Mar. Has something happened? What does he look like? Hot? Softie? Teddy bear? Bad boy? C'mon girl" Thankfully apart from the five of them the room was empty because of the late hour, otherwise they would have thought they were completely crazy and out of their minds. Red as a tomato Marlene nibbled at her lower lip slightly before taking a deep breath and starting, her eyes dreamy "We...kissed, just once" she whispers and look down but joy and happiness are written all over her face, her cheeks lightly tinted at the thought as Cassandra and Taeyeon 'awwwed' at her words getting more and more girly as she gave further explanations about this guy - Uriah - who she had met in a club while dancing because he had approached her during a country song and dragged her in a crazy and wild dance, his outgoingness, exuberance and cockly goofiness winning her over, the result being them dancing, talking and acting silly all night long until three or four in the morning when, eventually exhausted, they exchanged numbers and he planted a solid kiss on her lips before parting ways and taking cabs home. By now in full girly and inquisitive mood Chris didn't leave the poor Mar alone until she revealed every single detail and didn't know what else to say because she had already revealed everything about that Uriah - or the 'sexy goofball' as Chris had re-baptised him - and turned her attention to the most silent and quiet one just about to continue her torture with a different victim who, thanks to some divine and destiny forces, planets alignments or something mystical, was saved by her phone ringing in the exact moment Chris had opened her mouth ready to start.

It was her alarm going off, somehow they had spent the past hour and a half laughing, talking and enjoying all those delicious courses and it was already three in the afternoon: time to pay the check, go and pick Emily and James up at school.

"Saved by the kids" Chris mumbled under her breath making Cassandra laugh and Tris dramatically fake - but not really really fake- a huge relief earning even more chuckles from the other two.

"I had fun, thank you all. I'll see you soon I guess" Tris said once out of the restaurant, wrapping her red scarf around her neck and wearing her matched hat in order not to freeze during her twenty-minutes long walk to the school.

"I bet you had, you're off the hook but it's not over Trissy, it's not over" her best-friend replayed throwing a playful death-glare at Tris who just rolled her eyes and prayed that time would never come.

"I'm in for the interrogatory and yes, we need to organize Lynn's party and presents so I guess we'll meet again soon"

"Cassandra I thought you were on my side!!" Tris said incredulous looking at her friend who had just ganged up against her before turning around haughtily and walking away, erupting in laughter at her own act after a couple of steps and turning back around to wave at her girl friends before leaving - this time for real- and hurrying towards her destination glancing at her watch every now and then, picking up her pace not to arrive late at the bell ring.

Arrived just in time she was welcomed by a joyful Emily - cheerful as usual - and a pale, miserable and sickly looking James with listless and lifeless eyes.

"James, what's up? Are you not feeling well?" concern was evident in the nanny's voice as she kneeled down in front of him to be at the same level and cradled his face, smiling sweetly and motherly at the poor boy who just shook his head.

"What do you feel? Does your head hurt? Your tummy? You're tired?" she asked worried as even Emily on her side calmed down and looked at her brother with questioning eyes, realizing he was not okay, way quieter than usual.

"My head hurts and I feel like it's freezing" he whispered and Tris actually noticed he was slightly shivering and immediately asked him why he hadn't called Lauren to be picked up earlier, his answer being just a weak shrug.

"Aww come here, let me see" Tris said leaning in and pressing her lips to his forehead softly in order to feel his body temperature just to confirm what she had thought "I think you may have a fever titch. No soccer practise for you today, I'm sorry. We're going to head home to check on you with the thermometer and then put you in bed okay?"

So tired and cold he just nodded weakly, not even complaining about the no-practise part but Tris knew he was a really smart boy so she was sure he knew he had to get and feel better if he wanted to take part and play the match he was looking forward to on Saturday. Holding both the kids' hands, after having wrapped her huge scarf around the shivering sick boy to warm him up, she thought that he had probably got a cold or something on Sunday night when Tobias had taken both him and Emily out to the cinema to watch the newest kids cartoon, the surprise he had told them about on the phone back that Monday on their first day of school after the Halloween break. They had gone crazy when he had finally revealed them what his it consisted in and they had already told Tris the plot at least a couple of times, enthusiastic about that story about flying animals, speaking palms and silly humans. They had come back from the cinema quite late that night and it was extremely cold outside - it would have been a freezing winter because despite it being just Novemberthe temperatures where extremely low - so James may had gotten a fever that night or maybe because of some virus at school, Tris knew they were quite frequent especially in primary school but they were usually nothing too bad or dangerous, a two-three day long convalescence but nothing more and that was probably James' case as she measured his temperature once home just to find out she had been right: he had a fever and ended up falling asleep on the couch at light-speed while Tris was in the kitchen rummaging throughout the medicine box looking for some pills, she didn't have the heart to wake him up now that he looked finally more relaxed and warm under a couple of soft cozy blankets so she just set them on the coffee table by the couch along with a glass of water and, after a kiss on his cheek, joined Emily in the dining room where she had already started to empty her school bag ready to get started with her homework and assignments.

"What do you have to do today? Need to study for your History test?" Tris whispered gesturing for her to be quiet as well not to wake her brother up so she just nodded and gave her thumbs up making Tris chuckle ruffling her hair, leaving for a few seconds just to come back with two glasses of orange juice and take a sit next to the six-year old baby girl grabbing her phone.

"I'm calling your mom now, need to tell her something?" at the head shake she composed Lauren's number and brought the phone to her ear.

"Hi"

"Hi Lauren, it's Tris. Just wanted to tell you James has a temperature and is now asleep, I told him he won't go to practise"

"Oh is he in pain? High fever? Why didn't he call me from school?"

"Not too high, I'm giving him a pill to make him feel better as soon as he wakes up, is it okay? No allergies right?"

"No, he doesn't really like taking medicines but he'll have to. The red and green paper box with slightly pale pills is for fever and headaches and kids can take it as well, give him one and a half pill."

"Okay, perfect. I'm sure a nap and those pills will make him feel better" Tris said keeping her voice quite low and looking towards the living room close door.

"Hope so. I'll try and come home earlier if I manage to. I have a meeting but it should be over around five and then I'll drive back home"

"Okay, no worries"

"Okay, thank you Tris"

"No problem, bye!" As she ended the phone call Tris turned her full attention back to Emily and started studying with her and helping her with some researches. History, Maths and Art: three subjects and 50 minutes later they were finally done and for some fortuitous coincidence they heard James stir and stretch form the other room as they where tidying up and cleaning the table.

Tris was by his side in a matter of seconds caressing his hair and sitting down next to his head, leaning towards him to sweetly allow him to open his eyes after an hour long nap "Hey titch" her voice just above a whisper as she kept on massaging his scalp "How are you feeling?" his nod followed by a mumbled "better" brought relief to Tris who stretched her arm to take the glass of water and pills she had prepared as he sat up and rubbed his eyes to wash sumber away.

"Take these, you'll feel even better then. You need anything? Are you hungry?"

"No, thanks. Just tired" he said looking down at the pills with a disgusted face before looking away and throwing them down his throat soon followed by water and an even more disgusted expression as he tasted the bitter medicine "Bleah, it's... bleah"

"I know, I hate pills and syrups but they help a lot. Want a sip of orange juice or milk?"

"Not feeling like eating or drinking right now" he mumbled and waved at his sister with a small smile as she joined them and jumped on the couch startling Tris and making James laugh.

"What now Tris? What now?" Emily's cheerful and high pitched tone made James wrinkle his nose as his head was probably hurting a little bit, at the nanny's silence and lack of quick answer she got even more excited and pleadingly asked her "Can we watch a DVD? Please? Pretty please? Pwetty pwetty please?"

"You know we don't watch TV in the afternoon, you already watch cartoons form 7.30 to 8.30 after dinner and watching TV and displays for too long isn't good for your health and eyes" Tris replied remembering her parents telling her the same things when she was a child.

"Pleeease, just for today since James is sick" Emily's pleading and batting eyes this time managed to won Tris over as she finally agreed, the soft smile taking shape on her lips giving away her answer without her actually saying anything and earning a few squeals from Emily and a content smile from James as well.

"Okay okay. Pick up the DVD while I try to figure out how this contraption works" she agreed standing up to walk to the DVD reader and recorder with absolute no idea how to make that function, her relationship with devices and technology in general had never been idyllic using a euphemism and in fact just turning it on took her a few minutes but after that Emily - rolling her eyes and shaking her head - grabbed the TV remote control and in a matter of seconds the cartoon introduction soundtrack began playing in the background leaving a stunned Tris a few inches from the screen, surprised and taken aback but happy to find out they had chosen to watch 'One Hundred And One Dalmatians', one of her favourite kid animation movies as well. James patted on the couch for her to join them which she contently did taking a seat between the two of them, Emily on her left with her head on Tris ' shoulder and her brother on the other side of the nanny, their arms pressed together until, tired and a little dizzy, he preferred lying down resting his head on Tris' lap and almost drifted off a couple of times during the cartoon but always readily re-awakened by Emily's cheerful voice when she excitedly and proudly announced she was able to play a certain track of the musical score with her piano and insisted for them to let her show her abilities the first time and then when the doorbell rang and his little sister jumped up to look out of the window and then go and unlock the door to let Uncle Toby in.

"Hey, hi" he greeted his niece softly before lifting her up in his arms heading towards the living room, the only room where the lights were on just to find Tris smiling up at him, her hands lost in James' hair as he was still lying on her.

"Hey what's up?" he whispered smiling at Tris before kneeling down and looking right into his nephew's eyes.

"Temperature" he mumbled curling up under the soft fluffy cover.

"He has a fever, when I picked him up he wasn't feeling well and fell asleep the second we arrived, I gave him a pill almost an hour ago and we were just watching a cartoon. It's an exception as we don't usually watch TV or this kind of things. Lauren knows, I called her once home and she should be here in a little bit, off work a little earlier" in the meantime he had sat down next to her with Emily on his lap, his body close to Tris' and their hands touching slightly as he started caressing James' scalp as well, tingles running up both their arms as the last minutes of the 'One Hundred And One Dalmatians' played on the screen a few steps from them for a few more minutes before ending at what Emily sprinted upstairs, piano melodies and notes spreading throughout the house. "Come come. Listen to me"

"Emily be quiet, don't scream. We're coming" Tobias said standing up and taking James in his arms before setting him on his feet and helping Tris up as well. Emily really was able to play the cartoon soundtrack and she showed them a couple of times because she had just finished playing it the first time when Lauren arrived so she started all over again as her mom greeted them and hugged her son asking him how he was feeling and if he had taken his medicines, feeling slightly better but tired as ever he ended up in bed in less than half an hour and Tris kissed him 'goodnight' - even if it was more like 'good evening' - for the first time before leaving to head home around five thirty escorted by Tobias who drove her to her door leaving her right in front of her house steps waving at her through his car window one last time before driving away.

\--

The following morning Tris showed up at Lauren's around 8.30 to watch and look after James in the morning as well, luckily her Psychology lecturer had told them he wouldn't have been there on the 12th of November because of a convention in Seattle he had to attend so she didn't even skipped her lesson and was more than willing to take care of the poor feverish boy for the whole day. At her arrival Emily hadn't finished getting dressed yet and they needed to hurry up unless they wanted to arrive to school late so she greeted them quickly before they hopped in the car and drove away, the baby's hair put into a messy last-minute ponytail and Lauren's coat just half buttoned up. James was still in his pjs sleepily sat on his chair by the kitchen table, his milk bowl and cereal box in front of him as he lazily kept on moving his floating corn flakes with his spoon, making no actual effort to lift and bring it to his mouth just observing their circular motions and milky little vortexes.

"Good morning James, how are you feeling?"

"My head hurts and I'm still tired" he mumbled but smiled at her as she took the seat next to his.

"Not feeling like eating?" Tris asked nodding at his still full cup, his beverage not warm anymore.

"Not really..."

"C'mon just five sips and two spoons of cereals, you need to eat something to get better. I assure you it'll help and then, while you go up and wash your face, I'll clean the table and then we can do whatever you want" she said but soon added "Well not really whatever you want but..." once noticed the glister in his shrewd eyes earning a "uff" from him.

"Can I stay in my pajamas?"

"Of course you can kiddo but now eat you breakfast" his smile was priceless as she guessed Lauren wasn't used to letting them wear pjs all day long and that it probably was an exception, well not a big deal since he was sick and would have probably ended up snoozing most of the day... And as predictable she was right in fact, eaten his cereals, drunk his milk, taken his pill and washed his little sleepy face he drifted off on the couch as she read him a story, at the second chapter he was already in his dreams world at what Tris covered him with a blanket and, despite feeling tired and slightly cold as well, she started tidying the kids' rooms, picking up their toys and dolls, folding their clothes and starting the washing machine. Despite she had put on her cardigan she still felt kind of cold but the windows were all closed so she didn't really thought much of it until she started feeling slightly dizzy and weak at the point that she missed a step and barely managed not to fall, a bad presentiment getting the best of her as she grabbed the thermometer on the coffee table and took her temperature, an annoyed snort leaving her lips as the numbers revealed her she had indeed caught the virus as well and had now a fever, it being the cause of her headache, cold shivers and sudden weakness. She checked on James just to find his peacefully asleep in the same position she had left him in and, sitting down on the couch next to his feet with her book in hands, she just managed to read a couple of pages before falling into slumber as well, the previous scene played again leaving the two of them both laying there, their bodys buried under a pile of blankets surrounded by silence and peace, the chaotic and loud world outside not bothering them one bit.

A good three hours had flown away when James stretched his leg in his sleep hitting Tris a couple of times, disturbing her long nap as she began stirring and her eyes fluttered open in a few seconds, a yawn announcing her awakening along with some more sleepy noises and her hands rubbing her eyes in order to wash numbness and tiredness away.

\--

Tobias' phone ringing around one in the afternoon startled him a little bit as it echoed through the room and caught him off guard, his attention absorbed by the computer screen in front of him, tons of mails and documents flashing in front of his eyes, that high pitched sound making him jump slightly on his seat, his concentration disturbed as he pick the call up not even glancing at the smaller screen of his phone.

"Hi" he said waiting to figure out who was he talking to, not something work related that was for sure since it was his personal cell-phone, his business telephone quiet on the edge of his work desk.

"Hi Tobias, it's Tris" her soft sweet voice managed to wipe his pissed off expression in a millisecond replacing it with a smile, his heart picking up his pace a little bit.

"Oh, hi Tris, how are you? Couldn't wait to see me tonight?" he asked jokingly and a little taken aback by her unexpected call, he had no idea she was home with James.

"Uh yeah, your prize... Uh we actually need to postpone it, pick another day or something...again" she trailed off, fumbling for words for a few seconds giving him time to replace his smile with a saddened face, he was looking forward that night, he was claiming his second prize then and had already kind of organised it all so seeing his plans cancelled once again was not really pleasant and he started to think Tris was probably having second-thoughts about their challenge because she had already once called off because of a family urgency four days before and she was now asking him to change plans once again.

"Uh..." not knowing what to say, that doubt eating him alive, just a miserable 'uh' left his mouth.

"Yeah I'm really sorry, I uh I wasn't actually even calling for this reason. I uh, I'm at home with James and I got a high fever as well, I think I caught his virus yesterday or earlier this morning, I've just woken up when I actually don't even remember falling asleep but it's kind of pretty bad..."

All of as sudden his prize was not in his thoughts anymore, her health and well-being worrying him much more than his selfish doubts and he actually felt a dick for assuming such a thing "Oh my God I'm so sorry..." once again tho he didn't really know what to say.

"Don't be silly, it's not your fault. It just happens you know, it's not that big of a deal. Yeah right now it's not really idyllic but I'll be just fine in a couple of day, James is feeling better already, his forehead doesn't burn like yesterday, the pills worked just fine"

"I still feel sorry, what are you feeling? Your head hurts? Are you feeling cold?" she hummed in response but reassured him once again before changing the subject.

"I, uh, I called to ask if you possibly could go pick Emily up yourself... James still needs to stay home and recover and I..." she trailed off and he was already about to answer her but she cut him off "I mean I didn't want to disturb you, impose or make you feel like you have to... It's my task I know, my job, they pay me for picking her up from school and I bet you have a lot of work to get done. I'm sorry just forget I even aske-"

"Hey hey hey, stop right there baby" he stopped panicking for a millisecond, he had let that 'baby' slip out of his mouth but soon kept going trying to act like nothing had happened and praying that in her dumb feverish state it hadn't caught her attention "Of course I'll go pick my niece up, it's not a problem really. You're not feeling well, I don't see any problem. I would have stopped by anyway, it just means I need to leave a little earlier but I don't have too much to do" he lied glancing at his agenda: a meeting at 2.30 and an important appointment at four... well he would have pushed them back, not a big deal "You stay at home and rest, okay? Does Lauren knows you're sick?"

"No, not really. I was quite fine when I arrived this morning..."

"Okay, not a problem. Rest and make yourself at home. Do not worry, I've got it" he said in a convincing yet soft tone, nothing like his professional cold business voice but that was Tris!

"Th-Thank you Tobias, I really don't know how to repay..."

" _You_ don't be silly. We're okay, we're perfectly fine. Just rest and relax" he said smiling at himself "I'll see you later okay?" his tone was even softer this time and the word 'baby' threatened to leave his mouth once again. Smitten, he was totally smitten he realized shaking his head weakly one ended the call, phone still in hands.

A couple of hours later he was leaving, laptop in one hand and a small plastic bag with the pills box he had bought for Tris in the pharmacy just down the street in the other one, his afternoon now free after the almost ten phone calls her secretary had made to postpone his meeting and business appointment and all the documents he needed to sign or fill in still in a pile on his desk, they could have waited another day and just like that he drove to Emily's school picking her up at 3.30 p.m. , a gear surprise for his niece who ran and thrown herself at him the second she spotted her Uncle Toby in the parents crowd. On their way home she couldn't stop talking, asking why Tris was not there in first place and then just telling him about her exciting day, her friends and the upcoming school trip her teacher had told them about.

"A school trip? It's amazing princess, you'll have so much fun" he answered undoing her seat belt and picking her up in his arms, locking his car with the remote control before pulling his phone out of his pocket, uselessly trying to contact Tris, her phone ringing out.

"They're probably sleeping, we have to wake them up" Tobias said to himself scratching the back of his head, not really feeling like disturbing the two of them, sick and probably asleep.

"We can use the spare key" Emily stated matter of factly.

"We could if I had a spare key..." he cleverly remarked, at what the small baby girl just chuckled and kneeled down in front of the bushes and plants by the doorsteps, her small plutty hands rummaging through the leaves and terrain before turning back around towards a confused looking Tobias wearing a winning expression and showing the key in her palm.

"W-what?"

"The hidden spawe key, didn't you know about about it?" at his kind of shocked head shake she just chuckle and handed him it for him to open the front door and let them in.

James and Tris were indeed asleep really close on the couch, under the same pile of blankets, the nanny's arm wrapped around the little boy shoulders. This sight welcomed Emily and her uncle once in, the baby girl tiptoed upstairs ready to start doing her homework and Tobias assumed when he didn't see her for the following good half an hour nor heard any sound coming from her room as he prepared some hot broth since he couldn't have found dirty or recently-washed plates and had so assumed they had skipped lunch, Emily re-emerged when the light soup was ready and helped Tobias softly waking Tris and James up, she turned the light on as he bent down on the couch and kissed James and Tris' foreheads repeatedly, even daring to place a sweet peck on the sleepy-beauty's cheek, his lips tingling at the contact, his heart racing in his chest but she didn't remain impassible either as she softly hummed something before slowly opening her eyes just to come face to face with a caring and sweet Tobias, kneeled down in front of her.

"Good morning sleepy beauty, good morning titch" he whispered smiling at the two sleepy head in front of him.

"Hiiii" Emily whisper-shouted hugging James ad Tris' legs before running to the kitchen and coming back with a boiling soup plate and placing it on the coffee table before going back and then back again with the second soup portion.

"You haven't eaten yet right?"

"We fell asleep… kind of missed lunch…" Tris said nibbling at her lower lip thanking Tobias profusely for his thoughtful gesture as he and Emily sat down in front of them, Emily not too close to the feverish ones in order to avoid getting the virus as well as they chatted - and yawned - all afternoon long, the familiar and domestic atmosphere feeling special but not banal or boring as every single touch, eye contact, hands brush or smile felt like a step in the right directions, a game with two players who enjoyed taking things slow already knowing what would come eventually, the chemistry and attraction just growing and growing with every move.

 **Thank you a lot for reading, hope you enjoyed it! Reviews, comments and PMs are always much appreciated.**

 **~OceanicGirl**


	12. chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

 **THANK YOU** : Thank you all for your reviews, follows, favs and PMs, they really mean a lot to me and I'm so glad a lot of people seem to like this story! Thank you!

 **WARNINGS** : *Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC*

 **DISCLAIMER** : I don't own "The Divergent Trilogy"

"Oh you know mum Emily and James were both really happy and excited on Thursday night, they told Lauren about you as soon as she got back home" Tris said placing plates, forks, knives and a bottle of water for the three of them: her Dad on her left and her Mum right in front of her, the bread casket between their glasses.

"Really?" her mum asked from the kitchen and even if she couldn't see her Tris heard the smile in her voice, her apron on and the amazing aroma of her homemade lunch filling the two rooms and probably reaching Natalie's husband in the living room where he was busy leafing through the newspapers Tris had brought coming over to share a meal with her parents, quite often on Saturdays.

"Yes, they think you're really 'cool'. I don't think James will ever forget the goal you scored, the face of the big goalkeeper was actually quite priceless"

"Oh c'mon shut up, you know it was just an extremely lucky strike" her mother chuckled entering the dining room, an hot fuming pot in her hand as she nodded for Tris to go call her father, hint that she go immediately and returned with Andrew a few seconds later, the silent conversations and unspoken words between mother and daughter were quite a common thing, it had been since forever and they had developed their special language made of gazes, hints, nods and small gestures over the years especially to gang up against the family men.

Meeting her mum at the park while there with the kids and Tobias had been quite an unplanned thing and the football match they had improvised as well as their ten minutes conversation had both been quite surprising and well certainly unexpected but it hadn't been bad, not at all, a little bit embarrassing maybe but fun and that way Natalie had finally met the two famous titches Tris had never stopped talking about since September, the very first day as a part-time nanny.

"You're happy, aren't you?" It was not a question, not really but Tris nodded anyway, a soft smile playing on her lips at her mum's knowing words, she hadn't seen her daughter that happy in a long time, she had been when the Portland Primary School had called her but… well it hadn't ended up quite that happily…

"You see, you were meant to meet them and take care of those two. Next year you'll become a teacher and you'll be amazing at your job but always be thankful for James and Emily because they sure sound pretty special and I love it, the dreamy eyes you get when you talk about them, the way they bright you up even more. You're even more beautiful when you smile baby" Andrew's short speech warmed her heart up, the nickname he hadn't given up on using bringing back flashes of old memories to Tris of when she was indeed a baby, useless to remind her Dad she was a grown woman now: "You'll forever be my baby".

"They're not the only ones who look pretty special huh?" Tris' cheeks turned pink as she coughed a couple of times, his mum's mischievous question had taken her aback and some of the food in her mouth had chosen the wrong direction.

"What?" she asked after a deep breath faking confusion and praying she would have changed the subject because she knew exactly what her mother was talking about and she didn't like the topic, not one bit. Well she actually loved the topic but she didn't want to discuss it with her parents, hell no.

"Huh you know the really handsome young man you were completely leaning in on the park bench, the one who was playing with your hair, the tall guy you were so closely whispering to, your hands brushing and your-"

"MUM!" Tris screamed, her face in flames and her mouth hanging open as she stared at her mum in horror and shock, she had never been so bold and malicious and certainly not in front of Andrew that was in fact quite astonished, quiet for a few seconds with a train of thoughts crossing his eyes as his wife chuckled lightly at Tris' reaction.

"I'm sorry, didn't mean to bring up something taboo" she said looking kind of mortified for a few seconds before adding in a mumble "But he really looks like a kind and well-mannered guy. And he seems pretty nice and good-looking too" at what Tris blushed even more if possible, especially at the memory of that afternoon at the park impressed in her mind: James and Emily playing some dozens of feet from the bench they had chosen to sit down on, soft ray of wintry sunshine illumination it, Tobias' arms loosely resting behind her, his finger brushing her shoulder every now and then as light ghosts as well as their legs, barely a couple of inches between them, not that their upper halves were far more distance as they were both slightly turned towards one another busy in a friendly conversation, light jokes, teasing and whispers filled with sparks of intimacy. Casually walking through the park Natalie had spotted them like that and had only recognised her daughter because her eyes had landed on her a second time, at first glance she had mistaken the two for a lovely young couple - not that she was that far from the truth.

"Mum please, we're not talking about it!"

"Wait wait, Natalie what are you talking about? You didn't included a young man in your story some days ago" Tris had hoped her father wouldn't have chimed in or asked anything but luck was not on her side that day because Tobias became their number one topic for the day causing Tris embarrassment like she had never experienced with her parents, second only to her grandma's interrogation. Far too embarrassing and uneasy conversation in less than a moth, and all about Tobias.. they were not even together yet!

"You know what mum, you shouldn't hang out with Paula anymore. Chris certainly took after her mother and having a girly best friend is enough, I don't need my bestie's mum to contaminate you. I assure you Chris is enough" Tris says half serious half chuckling but with that statement and the laughter that followed she managed to end their conversation and finally change the subject into something lighter and less personal but that didn't last long as she dammed her inability to make up lies and credible excuses in a reasonable time and the whole and her parents' sixth sense and radar.

"Are you going out with your friends tonight darling?" right on the doorway with her coat already on she froze at her dad's innocent question as she started fumbling with words, giving them an affirmative answer hadn't even crossed her mind so she pretty much ended up spilling she was going out with the 'handsome young man' earning cheers and 'I knew it' from her mom, silence and protective jealous eyes from Andrew that forced a smile not really enthusiastic about 'his baby girl going out with men'.

Revealing her plans for the night had reawaken Tris' excitement and joy, feelings that she had tried burying deep down, her efforts not really effective tho as she felt more and more thrilled about his third-second prize that she didn't really know what consisted in, he had been quite vague and mysterious about it: all she knew was that he was picking her up at 6, that was basically it. He hadn't been more talkative and willing to share details that morning when she had texted him asking him to know at least how she was supposed to wear: 'Not too smart but don't worry, whatever you wear you'll look good ;)". And at her reply "I'll come in my pink pajamas then" hia had been "You'll rock it" and Tris had pictured his wink and silly eyes, the sparkling and deep ones she always felt on her when they were together, the ones she could easily get lost in with their shade of blue that was only his.

Trying to calm her nerves and kill the time she had to wait for six to come she picked up a book, the simple action of leafing through it enough to relax her, the story she was reading totally absorbing her making her lost track of time until her alarmed went off reminding her she had to take her pills and medicines for her burnings and that was time for her to start getting ready, her phone display showing 5.30 p.m.

Thankfully she had never taken a long time to get ready, half and hour was more than fine to change into the casual clothes she has picked out - a pair of blue jeans and a colorful jumper - brush her hair and braid them loosely, a simple and soft touch of makeup and her everyday shoes on, as she was picking up her purse, keys and jacket to place then on the living room table not to forget them going out the ring of the doorbell reached her, a thrill of excitement running down her spine at the sound. Excitement that didn't leave her at the sight of him in his pants, white polo and denim jacket under his coat looking good as she told him when he made a sweet comment about her looking beautiful, chills and thrills that only became more frequent with their small innocent touches, hands brushes, his chivalry and care evident in each and every small gesture form the opening her car door to pulling her chair out at the restaurant, from paying for their enjoyable dinner to ordering what he knew was her favourite wine. Small things that showed his attention and thoughtfulness, both his sides showing at the some time, switching quickly form silly and goofy to attractive and flirty in a perfect mix that had Tris one hundred percent comfortable and happy, her hidden bravery and boldness winning over her normal shyness in more than one occasion.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked between one bite of steak and another.

"Well it looks like I've taken you out for dinner, haven't you noticed?" at his stupid answer she couldn't help but roll her eyes but he was already chuckling as well.

"I have two tickets for a small blues soul concert in a bar a few blocks for here. It's a quite unknown quintet but they're really good. When they started selling the tickets you had just told me you like these genres so I thought about you and bought them. What you think? Gonna give them a try?" the two final questions were not needed since as she had had a thrilled smile and sparkling eyes from the beginning, her surprise and excitement written all over her face, the unnamed sound that left her mouth after a few second of silence more than enough to understand that she was hands down looking forward the small gig he had found out about a month before by chance thanks to an announcement he had came across on a social page, it had taken him a millisecond to make up his mind and buy them, the whole prizes things not even planned yet but he was glad he had decided to give the band a chance, her sweet smile the best sight he could ever ask for.

On the other hand Tris wasn't able to contain her happiness and enthusiasm, a huge grin plastered on her face for the rest of their dinner and for the whole night. She rememebered when she had told him about her tastes in music and her pleasant surprise when, talking about his favourite singers and songs, he had mentioned many of her favourites too, one more thing the two shared, one more mutual interest that had kept them busy for a couple of hours just sharing details, concerts memories, opinions and even improvising some silly karaoke just to find out they equally as bad at singing but didn't really care. Despite that she was honestly touched by his action and she spent quite a few seconds just staring at him while nibbling and biting her lower lip in awe, her heart warm and melting a little bit so much that she finally decided to listen to her inner soft yet insistant voice and stood up just to sit next to him and peck his cheek, all her bravery immediately vanishing as she shyly went back to her seat not meeting his eyes for a few moments but when she eventually lifted her gaze she came face to face with his impossibly goofy smile and flushed cheeks, his expression making her laugh and breaking the tangible tension.

"Ready to go missy?" he asked looking down at the now empty plate between them, not even a single crumb of chocolate cake had survived Tris' love for that dessert, the giant slice they had divided scarfed down in a matter of seconds, shock evident even on the waitress' face when Tobias called her asking the bill when she hadn't even made it back to the kitchen after serving them their final course. Leaving the restaurant and glancing at the big clock on the white wall Tobias gave himself a high five, they were perfectly in time for the show: five minutes to drive there, ten minutes for going in, find the right spot to enjoy the performance from and then it would have started... Years of practise for meetings, deadlines and project at work had been useful but the occasion couldn't been more different starting from the company of course but also for his state of relax and carefreeness that that night had nothing in common with his usual work-mood, far less enjoyable and light.

The parking lot wasn't really big but there were a good twenty cars already parked there and the inside, not really huge as well, was quite crowded when they stepped in, Tobias keeping the door open for her that coming face to face with all those people standing in the doorway took a step back in surprise colliding with Tobias' strong and muscular chest involuntarily, his instinct guiding his hand to hers as he took it and secured her by his side as he led Tris towards the bar counter, his grip tightening on her hand slightly not wanting to lose her in the initial crowd that thankfully dissipated gradually and disappeared completely in the separate room the owner pointed them when Tobias showed him their tickets, the intimacy of the music events room pleasant and reassuring with its wooden floor and suffused lightening, just a couple of dozens of people already there, mostly men and women in their thirties but also some older people, the soundproofing door leaving out all the loud bar noise and unpleasant sounds.

Just as they stopped and settled in a excellent place, the stage not too close not too far from them perfectly visible in front of them, more people arrived just in time for the show to start quite filling the small room, not crowded or packed but quite full of people now convincing Tobias to listen to his selfish self and leave Tris' hand just to place his own on her hip and guide her in front of him keeping her close, his chest brushing her back every now and then first and then more and more frequently when the quintet arrived and started playing, the rhythm so enjoyable and rousing that Tris soon started moving and dancing slightly at the live music soon followed by him, his hands still secured around her waist, their smiles and eye contacts becoming more and more recurrent with the show going on.

For a good two hours the quintet played some covers of other great artists and a dozen of songs written and composed by members of the group, all of them very well sung and rearranged - cheers, compliments and claps copious as everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves quietly singing along, following the rhythm and souring them.

"I love it" Tris repeated in Tobias' ear once he bent down, the first time the words had been missed in the music, just the opening and closing of her mouth revealing she had actually said something but he hadn't missed it, even if it had been just a barely visible movement in the half light he had noticed it, his eyes had been fixed on her from the very first moment, he was really enjoying the perfeormace as well and was really happy to be there, both the atmosphere and the quintet were fantastic but his eyes had not left her, the gorgeous woman in front of him. His answer was just a soft smile but she smiled back and that was all that mattered to him, his left hand still hadn't left her hip, his body shaking sightly following hers.

It was past ten p.m. when they wrapped up the show thanking the audience profusely and even staying more than planned for a bis, the fifty or so people in the room all enthusiastic and cheerful but unfortunately that paradise didn't last much longer, soon abruptly interrupted by the opening of the soundproofed door, the chaos and mess of the bar hitting them as a ball in the face, not a pleasant feeling, something similar to when you wake up in the middle of an amazing dream just to find out that it had been just that, a dream. It was even more crowded than when they had arrived two and a half hours before and they had to actually elbow to make it to the door not at all interested in having a drink there, far too people all packed in the quite small space; without even talking - not that it was possible in the complete racket - they both headed to Tobias' car and finally breathed in satisfaction and happiness, their eyes meeting halfway, the goofy content smiles on their lips meaningful, a comfortable silence surrounding them for a couple of minutes, the car engine still off, the dark of the night all around them with just the lampposts slightly lightening up the streets on that Saturday night.

"You seemed to be enjoying yourself back in there" he eventually said wrinkling at her.

"Are you kidding me? They were amazing and I love live music so it was fantastic" her enthusiasm and hands gestures making him chuckle especially when her head hit the roof of the car making signals with her whole body, a 'ouch' leaving her mouth and a dead glare in her eyes as he started laughing hard.

"That hurt"

Just more laughter from him and then from her as well as she actually realized it had actually been quite a scene, she betted it had been hilarious plus she couldn't really blame or stay angry at him, their silly moment led to action as Tobias started the car and drove towards Tris' house, chats and more laughter filling the vehicle, the chemistry between the two tangible and it came absolutely natural when she invited him in for 'a glass of wine, some beer, coffee or whatever you want' and of course he didn't turn her down, how could he had?

A glass of wine turned into a two-hour long conversation on her couch, barely an inch between their hot bodies and more than occasional touches as they both seemed to take every single opportunity to actually make any sort of physical contact - a lock of hair falling on her face, an eyelash on his cheek and the whole 'make a wish' thing, the pretest of taking the stem glass from his hands more than enough to 'accidentally brush' against it, her funny jokes an excuse to bend down towards her and almost rest his head on her lap from laughter. They had really had an amazing night and none of them wanted it to end, just the yawns Tris didn't manage to suppress form one in the morning on eventually made Tobias get up and leave, a sleepy and stumbling Tris walking him to the door and saying goodbye with a light hug and a kiss on the cheek - two in a day! - that lingered there a little longer and he felt it, the feeling of her lips there didn't leave him until he eventually drift off to sleep, his bed unmade and sheets thrown here and there by all his tossing and turning, excitement and thrill still running in his veins making it difficult for him to fall asleep, her lips ghosting there on his right cheek. Tris' kiss!

 **Reviews and PMs are always much appreciated, thank you!**

 **~OceanicGirl**


	13. chapter 13

**CHAPTER** **THIRTEEN**

 **THANK YOU** : Thank you all for your reviews, follows, favs and PMs, they really mean a lot to me and I'm so glad a lot of people seem to like this story! Thank you!

 **WARNINGS** : *Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC*

 **DISCLAIMER** : I don't own "The Divergent Trilog

"Tris, Tris" happy, excited and partly breathless shouts reached her as soon as she entered the room finding her a little unprepared and disoriented but she found her lips quircking up in a smile anyway at the well known voices, her eyes starting scanning the huge room looking for the two kids, eager to see them all thrilled and dressed up for their recital wondering how they had noticed her when she was still in the doorway – the room was quite packed with parents, grandparents, kids and who she guessed were teachers giving instructions and coordinating the crowd somehow. She couldn't see them despite her attempts, she couldn't spot any known face, just a moving wall of people in front of her running and rushing here and there in a chaotic and noisy way: moms looking for kids, teachers trying to make everyone sit down, overexcited relatives unable to control themselves… A mess, she bet her school recital had looked the same to her quiet and peaceful parents but she had always been on the other side, always the protagonist, never the spectator so she couldn't really tell, the change of prospective huge.

A impact, something - or better someone – crushing against her legs from behind and wrapping their arms around them made it obvious: Emily and James had somehow spotted and reached her, probably running and weaselling their way in the crowd taking advantages of their height and small sizes.

"You've made it" they didn't let her legs go, especially Emily who just took a few small steps on the right walking around her feet until she was on the other side of her body, now able to meet her nanny's eyes looking up, a huge grin greeting Tris as she bent down to be at their level and wrap them in a hug before taking in their outfits.

"Yes, I'm really happy I managed to arrive on time. Wow, you both look really good. James you're really handsome in that white shirt, young man. And your dress is lovely Emily, you look like a princess" she pecked their cheeks before adding "I'm super excited to watch you perform!" As they took both her hands and guided her somewhere through the hundreds of people already in the room – probably towards Lauren, Tobias and their grandparents – she couldn't hide the smile on her face at the feeling of warm chubby hands holding on her because she wasn't just saying it: she really was happy to be there with them, curious to watch their recital and feeling honored they had invited her the previous week.

They had remembered about it on Sunday and – as Lauren had then told her – they had insisted to call and invite her right then and there, 'the sooner the better' they had said afraid that she would have made some other plan if they had waited longer. They had been extremely sad and disappointed when she had told them she would have tried everything to be there but wasn't one hundred percent sure she would have managed to arrive because of an appointment with the doctor she didn't know how long would have lasted. They had begged her to come and come but she hadn't promised them that because she wasn't the type to break promises, a promise was something sacral and fondamental to her plus she hadn't wanted to bring their hopes up just to let them down… No, she was not that kind of person.

But she had been so happy taking a glance at her watch once finished with the doctor still on her way out the hospital to find out her medical examination hadn't lasted that long and she was still in time to make it to Emily and James' recital, the theatre the school had booked just a 10 minutes bus drive from where she had been, still half an hour to 16. The happy expressions on the kids' faces then enough to warm her up, her heart melting a little at their glowing eyes and excited squeals, more and more aware and conscious of their feelings towards her, their deep caring and love they had never failed showing in everyday life and acts but, despite that, she had never given that for granted, she had never stopped noticing every small thing, every precious little moment, every sweet gesture and her heart had never stopped fluttering at their affection demonstrations.

"Are you hungry? There's a buffet there, mom baked a couple of cakes and there are a tons of things if you want: candies, chocolates, cakes, cookies, smacks, crisps,… There is also the orange juice you like" James lifted arm was pointing the nearest corner they were now walking by, the other hand still holding Tris' as if he didn't want to lose her between all those people - kids and adults accidentally hitting and bumping into them every now and then even tho the teachers had finally managed to make some people sit and calm down, the atmosphere slightly more civil and livable now.

It still tooked them a good couple of minutes to reach the opposite side of the theatre behind the dozens of seats rows, right in front of the stage but a good 50 metres away from it and higher, as if upstairs. The view was clear and perfect tho, a little distant but direct and optimal, the stage amazingly visible even then with people still standing tall in the way. She took into that while following the two titches that were now pulling her more vigorously, one of the teacher had just told them to run back down behind the heavy red curtains because the recital was about to start, they had hurried up but refused to let Tris go, determined to take her to their family that thankfully was now at sight.

Marcus Eaton was standing still and quiet looking slightly at ease and certainly not comfortable even if up there the crowd had dissipated and it was getting more and more quiet with times passing, Evelyn on the other hand looked serene and perfectly fine talking to some women Tris didn't immediately recognise but didn't really focus on either, her attention soonly caught by a smiley Lauren walking towards them welcoming her with a friendly hug and immediately dispatching her son and daughter back to their teachers blowing them a kiss as the ran down, speeding towards the stage and their little friends and classmates.

"How are you?" Lauren knew Tris had had a doctor's appointment earlier but didn't know why, Tris hadn't revealed many details but she appreciated Lauren's making sure she was feeling well.

"I'm fine, thank you. Can't wait to see those two little titches performing" she said changing the subject, her burns not something she was particularly keen one discussing about.

"Same goes for me but Tobias is hands down the most excited" she chuckled pointing behind her with her left thumb and just then Tris noticed him, all focused on a camera or something like that, pedestal and lenses in one hand, some other stuff and tools resting on the floor next to his feet, something she could not really name partly because most of the lights were off in the theatre and partly because she wasn't an expert in photography, she loved photos tho. He was so into his equipment and complex system of glasses that he didn't even feel her approaching so she decided to just stare at him until he would have noticed her, her gaze taking into him - jeans, shirt and cardigan on, an adorable and focused expression on his handsome face, the tip of his tongue between his lips and his eyebrows slightly furrowed, wrinkles on his forehead because of his face, hands working delicately yet firmly and surely on the camera, his eyes up and down looking at the screen and lenses one second and at the stage the following moment in attempts to set the device in the most optimal position, Tris guessed.

Not an easy task she could tell as it took him a good couple of minutes to notice her presence beside him, his eyes lifting from the camera and meeting hers, a smile immediately taking shape on his lips and he was about to say something, his mouth already open for words to slip out when all the remaining lights went off and a teacher's voice announced the recital was about to start. Excited squeals, cheers and claps followed by silence eventually as everyone turned their attention to the stage, waiting for the kids to make their appearance.

Lauren joined them waving at the mum and dad she had just finished talking to, Evelyn and Marcus took a couple of steps towards their son and daughter as well and - even in the almost complete darkness - they acknowledge Tris and greeted her - Marcus with a nod, Evelyn with a smile and light hug, when she let go of her the nanny stood right next to Tobias whispering 'Hi' into his ear that was reachable even for her since he was bent down in order to start filming, an equally as soft and sweet 'hi' followed by a soft hand squeeze in response as the recital started and they silently enjoyed the show, barely an inch between their bodies, their hips accidentally touching every now and then every time he bent down to control and video process, minutes and minutes of performance printed in the camera memory.

The room was completely silent by the time the red curtains opened and revealed all the kids hidden behind them until a second before, all standing there in their smart little dresses, proud and smiley expressions mixed to shy smiles and a handful of children trying to sneak and hide behind others, embarrassed or probably just timid, really timid. Loud claps and cheers welcomed them before dying into silence once again, a couple of teachers talking and presenting the recital theme and different parts: each class had organised something over the previous three months of school, all projects, dances, poems and stuff connected to Thanksgiving, the common thread of the recital. Tobias leaned down to whisper in Tris' ear that it was something unusual, Emily and James' schools had always organised recitals but they had always been for Christmas, right before the end or the period, before the winter holidays but that year – because of some technical problems – they had had to anticipate it to the 19th of November, theme of the year: Thanksgiving.

Their eyes always focused on the stage and the cute, adorable kids performing, dancing, singing and reciting but that wasn't the last whisper between the two of them that, up there in the dark next to the camera filming the whole little show, quietly talked and commented the whole thing in barely audible soft whispers, cautious not to disturb or miss even just a minute of the recital, their gazes fixed there all the time, their bodies getting closer and closer with each mumble, now full on pressing together.

"Emily, Emily" Lauren happy yet muffled squeal reached them as the baby's mum pointed her daughter out to her parents, Mr and Mrs Eaton sat just a couple of steps far from Tobias and Tris, before turning towards the two of them to make sure they had noticed the precious angelic little girl on stage but ending up throwing them a knowing smirk at the sight of them all snuggling into one another, words she couldn't grasp and eye contacts running between them, she shook her head at the sight of those "blind lovebirds" but didn't disturb them as she noticed they were actually watching the performance carefully and that they had already spotted Emily in her cute dress and braids.

When it was James' class turn and he timidly approached the most exposed part of the proscenium Tris excitedly took Tobias' hand in her to catch his attention since he had just kneeled down in front of his photographic device to check and had so missed his nephew's appearance, up in a matter of milliseconds he sweetly smiled down at the beautiful girl still holding his hand – not that he was complaining – and then turning towards his sister to show her all his pride before giving full attention to James and his recited poems.

A river of claps, shouts, cheers, compliments and chaos greeted the nearly two hundreds little kids when they all went back on stage for the final and ritual bows at the end of their play, the enthusiastic audiences so loud to make it impossible to hear the first couple of sentences the principal pronounced as a closure and thanksgiving, her mouth visibly opening and closing but no sounds reaching the over excited and loud parents, grandparents, family members and other participants.

It was 6.30 p.m. but when Lauren, Tris, Tobias and his parents eventually managed to spot and collect Emily and James, leave the theatre and reach the car park it was well past seven and they were all quite worn out, the two kids still excited and hyperactive but soon to collapse on their beds already half asleep – Lauren knew the ten minutes drive to her parents' and then to their place would have been enough for their tiredness to kick in and substitute their thrills -, the adults half deaf from the chaos and quite tired as well, empty tummies not helping – the buffet not even considered, what had looked like millions of people making it even possible to be seen.

They sure were tired but also proud: the little titches of their performance, Lauren of her son and daughter, Evelyn and Marcus of their grandchildren and Tris of her "little cuties", all smiley and happy they parted ways: Lauren, her kids and parents getting in her car after long hugs and resounding kisses leaving Tris and Tobias by themselves.

"Want a ride home?"

"Oh you don't have to, I can walk or even take the bus" she shyly said rummaging in her bag "I should already have a ticket somewhe-"

"Don't be silly Tris, please. I'm taking you home" Tobias cut her off, his caring and gentleman side showing making Tris' heart flutter and blush slightly, silent following him as he approached his car and put his camera and lenses bag in the trunk before joining her in and driving away, some music already playing and echoing throughout the vehicle, apart from that comfortable silence surrounding them for a few minutes, light brushes of their hands or smiles shared very now and then, sparkles and sensual tension lingering between the two.

"I'm so glad I managed to make it, they looked so adorable!" Tris voice broke the silence out of nowhere as if she was just speaking her mind, silent thoughts becoming words.

"They were, they always are at their recital that's why I always record them. I have them all at home, from the first year of kindergarten" his voice was soft and his tone one Tris had noticed he was used to using when talking about his niece and nephew, a mix of pride, softness, sweetness, affection, care and love.

"Really? Aww that's amazing, I bet they looked even more adorable!" Tris pictured a little Emily and a little James playing, eating, sleeping and smiling in her mind and she couldn't help but smile, something inside her melting, she had seen a couple of pics of the two of them and of their family taken some time before, at the seaside or in the garden for a barbecue and they had looked unbelievably cute and amazing, two little angels and-

"Are you busy tonight?" the unexpected and slightly abrupt question took her back to reality even if it took her a few seconds to process Tobias' words and form a coherent answer, quite taken aback form the sudden request.

"Uhm, no. Don't think so"

"Okay then" as Tris looked up at him a little unsure his smirk confused her even more, his sudden U-turn and change of direction not helping.

"Okay then what?" she asked with a chuckle but curiosity and caution evident in her voice.

"I'm showing you the other recordings, I'm cooking for us at my place" his voice determined, his eyes meeting hers after a few seconds "How does it sound?" before turning his attention back to the streets and other cars, confidence yet hope at the same time mixing in his tone, the just as hopeful smile on his handsome face unable to resist - not that she really wanted to - so she ended up agreeing, jokes and teasings easily rolling off their tongues filling the car with laughter, witty remarks and quips, comments and gags always borderline between friendly and mischievous, their chemistry never lacking, the sexual tension never leaving them, their sense of humor always lingering over them and following the two of them inside Tobias' apartment.

Tris had never been to Tobias' place before, he sure had been to hers quite a few times considering he was quite used to driving her home often after work since he hadn't given up stopping by Lauren's on a regular and almost daily basis, she – on the other hand – had never had the occasion to go to his place, that was another first for them and they both were silently excited.

What welcomed her once out of the lift, up at the tenth and last floor, behind the front door was mix of rustic and modern, an amazing combination of wooden floor, simple and linear furniture, airy and big spaces, huge windows, design object and lamps, photos and pictures hanging on walls, a whole collection of books and albums in the living room behind the big television and in front of the comfy-looking light brown couch. Island in the kitchen, expensive-looking cabinets, counter and appliances surrounding it, fruits and flowers on its clean surface, everything perfectly in place.

After some moments of shock and amazement a short "small tour" of the impressively big two-floors apartment with annex terrace on the roof followed and left Tris breathless and with an unpleasant feeling of inadequacy that was soon replaced by the usual comfort, thanks to Tobias that somehow sensed her insecurity and immediately lightened the atmosphere making her feel at home, the glass of wine he offered and she gladly accepted washing away most of her discomfort.

Their jokes and fun in the kitchen as they ended up cooking together, music playing in the background making it even more pleasurable, eliminating every leftover as they switched back to silly and carefree rocking the team-work and organization, a delicious meal coming as a result of their chemistry and collaboration, a messy counter and room coming also as a side effect but neither of them really cared about it, some tomato sauce there, some crumbs here but that wasn't a big problem, they would have cleaned it up.

"You really can cook, Tobias! This chicken is amazing" Tris' mouth was full, her left hand in front of it while the right one held the fork, she knew it wasn't very polite of her but her first bite had already won her over with its combination of bitter and sweet tastes, meat and vegetables.

"Not bad, not bad" he said, the goofy and funny expression on his face making them both laugh hard, her abdomen muscles hurting and a couple of tears eventually rolling down Tris' cheek soon stopped by Tobias' fingers, his light and soft brush ghosting on her skin for a while, all dinner long, their conversation never dying.

"So, what about Thanksgiving? Emily and James are really excited about it"

"They are, you know: holiday, turkey, presents…" a chuckle followed Uncle Toby's words before he added "But yeah, they love it. We're having a late lunch all together: my parents, Lauren and the kids, my uncles, aunts and cousins. Meeting up with friends in the evening. You?"

"Quite similar, we always have lunch at my grandma's but we usually go there awfully early in the morning to help her cook and prepare everything since she's quite old, she's lively but still 84 years old"

"Wow that's a lot"

"Yeah, but she wants us to celebrate there, it's a tradition nowadays. My brother and his wife are joining us, they're landing in a few days and will stay here for a week or two" she stopped mid sentence and her eyes lightened up, her voice getting excited "Do you know I'm going to be an auntie soon?" a wide smile plastered on her face, immediately infecting Tobias.

"Really? When?"

"Yeah, Susan – my sister in law and friend – is about six months pregnant. The 23rd of February is the due date, still don't know if it will be a girl or a boy but I'm excited" Tobias eyes softened as he showed his happiness and excitement for her and told her she would have been an amazing auntie, neither of them knew how but they found themselves all wrapped in a tight hug, her arms around his midsection and her head resting on his chest, his hands on her lower back and his chin on her hair, smiles on their face not leaving them even when – what felt like hours later – they untangled and went on with conversation while loading the dishwasher and cleaning up a little, Tris insistence winning.

The couch in the living room was quite huge and it certainly could host five or even six people but of course Tris and Tobias preferred saving up space by sitting side to side, his arm loosely resting behind her, his hand grazing her shoulder exactly like the previous week at the park when Natalie had walked on them full flirting and sharing whispered secrets in the open air, now – behind closed doors – their inhibitions close to non existing as they started brushing and barely touching one another just to end up cuddling shamelessly in front of the TV screen, old recital videos keeping them company as well as live comments and laughter, 'awwws' and other similar sounds that stood for 'cute', 'adorable' or something like that.

Emily dressed up as a flower girl, James wearing a snowflake costume, dances, fumbled words, blushed cheeks, shy smiles, timid kisses, more costumes, crowns, Santa Claus hats, reindeers' horns, fluffiness and adorableness beyond limits, precious recordings they loved watching – Tris for the first time, Tobias for the third or fourth yet never getting tired rewatching them, his niece and nephew looking extremely cute and lovely in every single one, those CDs really meant a lot to him, he had never once missed a recital, they were all there, recorded.

"Are you okay Tris? What is it?" Tris had been feeling so comfortable and good that she hadn't even realized Tobias' hands were now roaming a little further up and down her arm and on her partly exposed neck and upper collar bone - well she had realized that and it had even caused more thrills and shivers to run down her spine but she hadn't enterly processed it or linked his actions to what could have come as a consequence so she froze in place when his large hand met her medication, bandages covering most of her back and shoulder came in contact with his fingers.

No sounds left Tris' mouth as she turned and stared at him wide eyed, his question and concern in his voice had taken her aback and she had panicked slightly, she didn't like explaining or even just talking about her scars and burns not only because they looked awful and unimaginably ugly all red, squamous, inflamed and sensible but mainly because she had always hated attention, had always tried avoiding fame or any sort of notoriety. She had always been extremely modest and selfless yet she was well aware and conscious that that day her actions and what many had referred to as 'incredible bravery, immense courage' had caught many people's attention, the press had asked her for an interview, she had felt everybody's eyes on her, she had been welcomed and pictured as an heroine when she had just followed her heart, she hadn't even thought twice before running back into the building to save the little Ava from flames and sure death, she hadn't operated out of arrogance, pride, ostentation or desire to be noticed. She hadn't felt different and sure thing she hadn't felt an heroine, she had hated everyone's attention on her and even more the change in others' behavior towards her and now deep inside she feared Tobias would have looked at her differently, she didn't think he was the type but she had been unpleasantly surprised many times before and she sure didn't want to look like someone selfish or ostentatious, that's why she froze for some long long moments.

"Are you okay Tris? You're scaring me" once again the same question, he had repeated it but she still didn't know how to answer and started fumbling with words making Tobias even more confused and worried, worry certainly winning over confusion as it was evident in his eyes.

"No. I mean yeah- I mean -" with each word his eyes got more and more serious and concerned, his face now full on showing his feelings, gaze fixed on her, eyebrows furrowed.

"Listen, I'm going to the bathroom really quickly, okay? Then we can talk, I'm worried" his eyes were deep and sincere, his tone firm but soft as he brushed her lower lip making her stop biting down at it out of habit and nervousness, just a small and weak nod as an answer and a sweet caress on her cheek before standing up and heading to the washroom leaving her on the couch, just her loud thoughts keeping her company, gaze lost somewhere, sweaty palms. Just the sudden sounds of the toilet flush first and of a phone ringtone seconds later seemed to wake Tris from her daydream and distract her from her high speed train of thoughts.

"Uh Tris, who's calling?" Tobias called out from the other room.

"It's… Zeke" Tobias' phone screen had lightened up on the coffee table in front of the couch between it and the TV, the ID showing his best friend's name.

"Can you please answer? Just washing my hands, I'll be there in a second".

"Hello" eventually she picked the phone up, her voice followed a few moments of insecurity and slightly embarrassment, after all she was still answering Tobias' best friend's call by her own.

"Hi man, Fou-" Zeke stopped mid sentence at the realization that it hadn't been Tobias' voice to answer the call, he surely was not the type to leave or lose his phone, not one to just let anyone use or answer it and it was well past 10 for God's sake, he was about to ask for clarification but Tris was faster.

"Uh hi Zeke, it's Tris. Tobias is in the bathroom, will be here in a moment" her voice friendly yet a little shy, the situation quite awkward for her because first of all they had met just twice and then because Zeke was a male version of Chris according to Tobias' description.

"Oh hi Tris" the mischievous tone of his voice just proving his best friend right and confirming Tris' bad presentments "How are you?"

The small talk didn't last long as in a matter of seconds he was goofily hinting at their relationship and presumed affair more and more, the fact that she had answered his phone and was at his place at that hour of the night really not making things easier.

"So are you going to the formal Thanksgiving dinner? You know I think it's kind of a big deal for him, he has never taken a date with him and then you tell me I should believe you two and your 'we're just friends' bullshit and-"

"Thanksgiving dinner? What are you talking about? Date?" it had taken her a little to realize and process his words mainly because she knew nothing about that but she immediately stopped him when her brain assimilated and partly grasped the meaning of what he was saying.

"You mean… he hasn't asked you yet?" silence "Obviously he hasn't" he answered his own question "Shit, shit. Okay Tris I must go, bye bye bye" abrupt end of the phone call as he hung up the phone just like that, not even waiting for Tobias that, entering the living room, found a still confused Tris, phone in one hand and a 'what just happened?' face on, words leaving her mouth without her giving them permission since she hadn't even grasped them and their meaning completely.

"Thanksgiving? Date? Formal dinner?"

 **Uh-uh...**

 **Reviews and PMs are always much appreciated, thank you!**

 **~OceanicGirl**


	14. chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

 **THANK YOU:** Thank you all for your reviews, follows, favs and PMs, they really mean a lot to me and I'm so glad a lot of people seem to like this story! Thank you!

 **WARNINGS:** *Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC*

 **DISCLAIMER:** I don't own "The Divergent Trilogy"

Tris could still picture Tobias emerging from the bathroom immediately taken aback by her unexpected questions, thrown at him with no warning, his expression evolving in a few seconds: to concerned and focused ready to hear her out about her bandages, to confused for barely a millisecond, then to surprised, all of a sudden shy and embarrassed scratching the back of his neck and slightly blush and then to sullen, slightly pissed off eyes coming with a quiet course, the words "dammit" and "Zeke" part of the same sentence Tris hadn't fully heard because whispered under his breath but she had found it funny for some reason, something in his face and words had made her chuckle. Probably the fact that Zeke had proven Tobias right: he wasn't really different from Chris, at least they shared the inability to keep their mouths shut, always talking way too much. Well she had chuckled looking up at the man still standing a few steps from the couch, frozen in place where her questions had reached him, torn between embarrassment, shyness and annoyance… What a long night it had been between his and her explanations, well past one a.m. when he had eventually driven her home.

Secrets and private things had been revealed, insecurities and weakness shared, his fourth prize had been claimed, a 'mock' first date set.

It had been quite a night between Tris opening up about the fire, the little girl she had saved and the consequences of her actions: her scars, red and ugly almost all over her lower back, shoulder and part of her belly and rib cage, looking incredibly awful and horrible to her eyes, he had doubted it since all he had in front of him was beauty in his opinion but he had kept his thoughts thoughts, he hadn't told her that output - not on that occasion - but his reaction had kind of given away his feelings. In fact Tobias had looked at her differently but not as she had feared, only pride, sweetness, admiration in his eyes as he had caressed her cheeks, "You're amazing Tris" the only words leaving his mouth as he had leaned in, his lips flying over her face, for a split second that felt like ages not even an inch between his and hers, his eventually landing on her forehead. Silence surrounding them. Their bodies pressed together, his slightly hovering hers as he had softly kept his lips there, in contact with her skin for a long time and then had traced the borders of her shoulder and collarbone bandages with gentle touches, his eyes never leaving hers as she had sat there, enchanted and overwhelmed by the sweetness and sensuality of his intimate actions, a fire burning in her belly, the tension tangible, her lips slightly parted, her mouth dry as his face had kept on lingering just a few millimeters form hers.

Intense and powerful. It had been intense and powerful.

Just the sound of a text notification coming from Tobias' phone on the coffee table had broken the tension, they had both cleared their throats trying to untangle and sit a little bit more properly, the ball in his court now, his turn for an explanation, his embarrassment and shyness back again as he looked everywhere but at her as a young inexperienced boy dealing with his first crush. He had basically claimed his fourth prize - he wasn't done with the fourth book yet, a couple of hundreds of pages still for him to read but his prize wouldn't have arrived too soon anyway, not until the last days of November.

A date.

Not a real real first date since he still had to wait and finish the tome before that, his final prize the one he was looking forward to more, counting down the days or better the pages. Not a real official first date but a mock date, a dress rehearsal, a fancy Thanksgiving business dinner where he wanted her to be his date for the night or whatever you want to call that. Tris didn't mind the word 'date', she loved the sound of it leaving his mouth, yeah it had sounded good to her, amazing.

 _Date_.

It sure had caused her thrills and excitement, eagerness that she had tried to hide a little, probably failing miserably, right there in front of him, the 'play hard to get' act probably unnecessary and useless since she hadn't been able to keep her face straight, a huge smile immediately taking shape on her face at his words and invitation, her eyes out of her control, shining and smiling in a matter of seconds. Yeah he certainly had noticed her excitement and happiness, the confident and less shy part of him showing once again, the awkward and impossibly cute one soon replaced, his attitude back to friendly and flirty at her physical response. The sexual tension once again tangible during their ride back to her place, late at night when he had even driven around a little just to 'enjoy the empty roads' as he had told her... more like a 'enjoy your company longer' in reality but they had been on the same page and they had had fun, as usual.

Once home Tris had been up until awfully late - or better early in the morning -, butterflies still in her stomach as she had played and replayed the past night events in her head for hours, she hadn't been able to keep her mind off that topic, the worlds 'date', 'Thanksgiving' 'fancy business dinner' popping in her head every time she had been about to close her eyes and finally sleep, her body tired and collapsed on her bed, her brain awake and her imagination way too hyperactive, fantasies carrying her away and filling her dreams when she eventually had fallen asleep.

Images of him in a suit with her by his side never leaving her, his scent still filling her nose, ghosts of his touch still on her skin.

Shaking her head in order to push all those thoughts and memories aside she probably put a little too much vigor in her actions, a couple of ladies and three other customers throwing weird glances in her direction, embarrassment filling her veins as she realized she was still at the grocery store, stranding in the middle of nowhere and nobody, just standing there by herself where she had stopped probably minutes before to respect the line with her head going right-left-right-left to shake her lost in thoughts state away. Quite a weird thing, the fact she had drawn some people's attention not surprising yet embarrassing, really embarrassing, her cheeks red as the tomatoes in her paper bag.

Someone bumped into her awakening her completely as she cleared her mind from her fantasies and daydreams and remembered the reason why she was standing there with quite a lot of bags in one hand and a very long shopping list in the other: Thanksgiving was in two days and she was supposed to buy food and ingredients for their family dinner!!

Taking a glance at her watch she realized with horror that it was already well past 5 in the evening and she still had to go to a couple or even three more shops, stop by her grandma's place to leave everything there and then go and pick Caleb and Susan up at the airport at 7 p. m., she was definitely late!

Damn it Tobias and the things you do to me! she cursed in her mind trying to find someone to blame even if she knew it was totally her fault and her wild imagination's.

Rushing and running here and there in the grocery shop ignoring a couple of texts and a called she missed she just focused on her list, something like thirty things still to buy.

Tomatoes, potatoes, carrots and corns: taken. French beans, onion, pumpkin and peppers not yet, she really had to hurry up.

It took her a good ten minutes to find the above mentioned vegetables and pay, the shop quite packed with people as usual before Thanksgiving and Christmas, the shop assistants really busy and even slightly stressed, crazy customers not helping one bit with their often impolite manners and strange requests: who in the world wants a red cucumber? Does it even exist? According to the old lady right in front of Tris yes and she wanted it and she was very insistent, her stubbornness costing her other three precious minutes. Luck was not on her side that day as a traffic jam stopped her when she had just left the grocery store to head to the butchery a couple of block from where she had parked.

Taking deep and long breaths she tried to keep calm, her blood boiling in her veins as everything seemed to just go wrong that day: first she had lost her keys somewhere, the walk to her parents' house in order to take the duplicate and make a new copy of them causing her to be late and miss the first half an hour of her lesson and then, as if it hadn't been enough, she had even skipped lunch, her tummy now empty and claiming attention she couldn't give it since she was, once again, running behind schedule - old ladies and traffic really not making things easier!

She just really wanted to see Susan and Caleb again, have dinner with them and then go to bed, leaving that day behind her for another one - hopefully a better one - to arrive.

Beef, turkey, bread, flour and chocolate, milk, eggs and vanilla for the cake they had decided to cook. Wine and beer. Some other ingredients joining the vegetables in her bags, she had ten of them or maybe even eleven, too many to be counted.

She sighed audibly when she she eventually closed the trunk once for all and stopped for a minute trying to clear her head and take a breath.

6.20 p.m.: she 'still' had 40 minutes to stop by her grandmother's house to leave there all the bags now resting behind her - thankfully it was in the right direction and not just across the city far from the airport - and pick her brother and sister in law up, they were about to land with their luggages and stuff, probably tired and exhausted.

Okay, she could do it!

Thankfully the music echoing in her car made her relax - the band she and Tobias had listened to live a couple of weeks before now very familiar to her, memories of the small gig facilitating the development of a smile on her lips, her mood decisively lighter. Luck had then finally started working by her side, the notification coming from the airport app informing her her brother's flight would have been 15 minutes late so she would have managed to make it on time, excitement and relief coming in waves each one stronger then the one before.

They had spent some days together at the end of October, not so long before, but she missed Caleb and Susan terribly, she still remembered when they had decided to move because of an important job opportunity for her brother, it hadn't been easy since they had always been really really close but he had been so enthusiastic and happy he had managed to infect her and their family members. The important thing was that he was still happy and hadn't lost interest in what he was doing over the years, if something it had grown.

She laughed, the sound flying away slipping through the open car window and running somewhere following the cool wind, at the images of her brother's house full of magazines and science books, plants and tools for experiments disseminated here and there, hidden in the less predictable places such as kitchen cabinets, oh yes sir he kept scientific things and materials event between cups, mugs and plates! What an hilarious brother she had, Susan was a saint for managing to live with him 24/7 with housework to do and everything, if she hadn't been patient, really really patient they would have already got divorced, for sure!

The sight of them entering the airport hall with comfortable clothes wrinkled from the a-couple-of-hour-long flight and their faces exhausted made her smile wide and happily, their arms soon wrapping around her small frame warming her, his brother tall and his hair messy as usual, Susan tired but smiley, herq quite swollen belly getting slightly in the way during their embrace,Tris' eyes shiny as she greeted the small baby growing inside her friends, she really couldn't wait to be an auntie!!

From seven to ten p.m. - when Tris drove back home to let her brother and sister in law rest - they just couldn't stop talking and catching up, the frequent phone calls not even enough to cover 1/30 of the things they had to tell one another, Caleb and Tris' parents - excited to become grandparents soon - wanted to know every single thing about Susan's pregnancy, the first kicks of the baby, his movements and growth, everything was going smoothly thankfully, no complications or health problems revealed by ultrasounds and sonogram, a list of possible names shared by the soon to be patents, the gender of the baby still unknown since they had decided not to find out, they wanted to be surprised at the birth, Tris wanted the due date to arrive already!

Apart from the baby news they talked about everything all evening long: Caleb and Susan's visit to a friend - the reason why they had flown to Portland instead of driven there -, Tris' studies and exams, her parents hobbies, their grandma's health, Thanksgiving, Tris' job,... She hadn't even managed to avoid the topic she had really hoped wouldn't have come up: Tobias. She had changed the topic as soon as possible but the knowing smile on Susan's lips and Caleb's slightly furrowed eyebrows had told her they hadn't really believed the 'he's just Emily and James's uncle, he visits them often so we're acquaintances now' lie, Chris always told her she had never been a good liar… she was probably right, the 'guess we'll have to plan a girly night soon unless you want me to call Chris for some juicy details' that left her friend's mouth when she hugged her before leaving just confirming it, Susan had always been shy and reserved but - behind the malicious smile meant to make her chuckle and tease her - Tris could see genuine curiosity.

She sighed, was she really that obvious?

 **Reviews and PMs are always much appreciated, thank you!**

 **~OceanicGirl**


	15. chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

 **THANK YOU** : Thank you all for your reviews, follows, favs and PMs, they really mean a lot to me and I'm so glad a lot of people seem to like this story! Thank you!

 **WARNINGS** : *Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC*

 **DISCLAIMER** : I don't own "The Divergent Trilog

Busy and absorbed by her tasks between chopping, frying, roasting, cooking, organising things and table dispositions at her grandma's place for the soon to start family Thanksgiving late lunch Tris completely forgot about her phone left somewhere in her bag or coat pocket, too concentrated and focused to think about it, her ringtone too distant and muffled to reach her, possible texts and calls not even on her mind as she ran here and there with her mum and Susan all caught up in the last preparations and details while Caleb and Andrew were lightening the fire in the big living room fireplace, Rose entertaining the first hosts and chatting with them on the couch next to the two men.

Once finished with food and dishes the 'family thing' started with all its hugs, kisses, catching ups, presents, news and ordinary stuff everyone goes through on this kind of occasions, her mobile once again not on her mind and then came the actual long and rich meal: wine, vegetables, turkey, meat, rolls, pasta, cakes and a ton of other things that had kept Tris, Natalie and her daughter in law busy all morning long, a late lunch that had turned into something similar to a wedding banquet as for its duration, almost four thirty in the afternoon when they eventually stood up and helped cleaning up just to move on with the presents exchange moment a couple of minutes later. Smiley faces, gossips, embarrassing questions, compliments, promises and jokes always surrounding them, the atmosphere domestic and familiar, warm and cheerful as Tris thought she was glad occasions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas existed, only love, affections and a little tiredness left on her skin as she dispensed the last of dozens of hugs waving at her cousins one last time before closing the door and collapsing on the sofa trying to find some more energy, her mother and father looking just as spent, Rose in her bedroom resting properly, Susan and Caleb on the armchairs a few steps from the fireplace, her brother's eyes closed, his wife's hands softly rubbing her round belly button, the baby she was carrying now famous between all the attentions and compliments he or she had received in the previous five hours, now tired as well.

It was just when she was getting ready to leave to quickly head home to fresh up a little bit before before meeting up with her friends that she remembered about her phone while looking for her keys and a small yet precious smile immediately took shape on her lips as she went through her texts and found a voice message from Emily and James and a simple yet meaningful 'Happy Thanksgiving, Tris 3' text from Tobias, she couldn't stop from biting her lower lip and feeling a little bad, it was already five p.m. and that meant she had made him wait more than seven hours for a replay. Walking home she couldn't help but feel sorry and so she changed her mind and decided to change her plans and head to his place directly, the freshening up thing forgotten as she hoped to find him to thank him properly and wish him a late 'Happy Thanksgiving'... She realized that because of some unexpected yet welcomed stars alignment and good luck the meeting point with Christina, Will, Lynn, Marlene, Taeyeon, Alex and Cassandra, Paul and Al wasn't far from Tobias' amazing place, just a couple of blocks away, it was perfect and she would have managed to make it on time, perfect!

She grown impatient and timid at the same time on her way there, excitement filling her veins with another sensation she couldn't really name, a grin on her face at the thought of seeing Tobias, that man always managing to send thrills down her body. A woman probably in her forties let her in as she was stepping out of his building in that moment so Tris barely had a second to take in her reflection on the big windows of the modern place entrance before actually stepping inside and heading to the stairs, lifts not really her passion. Between on step and another she tried to calm her breathing that was uneven but not because of the fatigue of the eight floors of steps, it wasn't that and her attempts were proven almost useless as her heart started beating faster in her chest, once again not from the physical exercise.

It took her a moment to prepare herself and ring the bell once in front of his door, 'Tobias Eaton' written in elegant letters on a small golden nameplate but, as a wave of bravery washed over her, she reached for the little button and pressed it, positioning herself in front of the peephole and clearing her throat at the same time since she didn't know if he would have answered, opened the door or looked through the spy-hole, after all she had never needed to knock or ring the bell the few times she had come over to his place, she had always entered with him...

What she was not expecting nor had even thought about was coming face to face not with Tobias but with someone else so at the sight of a smiley and welcoming Zeke she froze for a second before chuckling awkwardly and shyly as he pulled her inside and hugged her.

"Hello Tris, you're here for the party I see! Oh yeah" Music and laughter reached her ears as she was still struggling in confusion, taken back by the unexpected situation, cheers and happy voices coming from the living room and the kitchen, she grew more and more nervous and cursed in her mind, why had she decided to stop by? A simple text would have been okay but there she was interrupting Tobias's party with all his longtime friends just because of her enormous and stupid, juvenile crush.

"Oh I.. No, I was just-"

A "Who's at the door?" coming from upstairs cut her off, Tobias' voice sending thrills down her spine that did nothing but intensify as she noticed him jogging down the stairs and approaching them, a curious look on his face as he hadn't noticed her yet, Zeke's body hiding her from his eyes until he took the final steps and hovered above his friend's head and shoulder - Zeke visibly shorter than him despite being a foot taller than Tris - and meeting her eyes, his immediately lightening up and his lips curling up in the sweetest smile.

Tris found herself hugged by him in a matter of seconds, how he had reached her and moved Zeke aside not really clear but she couldn't really form any coherent thought as she stared up at him in his deep blue eyes, their eye contact powerful and strong, his forehead a few millimeters form hers, her nose brushing the tip of his as they goofy-ly smiled at one another, his hands locked behind her back, hers resting on his chest in an intimate act that was certainly not just friendly, it wasn't hard to notice but that was just a confirmation for Zeke, he had always suspected, he already knew something deeper was in the air but stood there anyway. As he heard Shauna and a couple of other friends heading towards the doorway, curious to see who had arrived and what was taking them so long he put his index in front of his lips to prevent them from breaking the moment, the malicious smile on his face soon spreading between the other hosts, Tris and Tobias still undisturbed as they kept their silent conversation up despite the 7 or 8 pairs of eyes fixed on them.

"What are you doing here?" it was just a whisper but they were so close Tris could hear him loud and clear.

"I stopped by just to… say 'hi' and 'Happy Thanksgiving' I guess. This morning between cooking, eating and relatives everywhere I didn't check my phone until half an hour ago and I read you text. Sorry I was late"

"Don't be silly it's understandable, when you weren't replying I got it. I'm happy you're here, Happy Thanksgiving Tris"

She melted at his words, her knees ready to collapse at any second as she pulled him closer and kissed his cheek a soft 'Happy thanksgiving' leaving her mouth before going back to rest her forehead against his, party and friends long forgotten until someone cleared their throat loudly and broke the atmosphere "Tobias aren't you going to introduce her to us?"

Blush tinted Tris and Tobias' cheeks from pink to red in a second as some long embarrassing and awkward moments followed, he had forgotten about his friends as well so caught up in a small world with him and Tris only, even the loud music had stopped reaching him, the abrupt awakening as a bucketful of freezing water.

When Zeke asked for her coat she saw a ray of light at of the and of that awkward tunnel but her 'Oh I'm not staying, I just stopped by. I'm meeting my fiends in five minutes down the street, a block form here' just didn't work in her favor, a sad sounding 'Oh, you're already leaving' and a 'No way, no no! You're staying right here. Invite your friends over, it's time to meet them. We're throwing a big party and having fun. Call them, what are you waiting?' from Zeke two indicators she really had said the wrong thing.

"Well this would actually be my place" Tobias said looking at Zeke, he hadn't spoken since his last whisper but that had been for Tris only, he really didn't know how to act and behave with Tris in front of his friends, he was struggling between doing what his heart was telling him, behaving exactly as if they were alone in their ambiguous way or putting some distance between them now that so many people were around them, sure thing it would have been strange and probably embarrassing meeting her friends at a party at his place with Zeke and Uriah that were looking forward to nothing more than ganging up and tease him but, on the other hand, he certainly didn't want her to leave just yet, her company something he was finding himself seeking more and more.

So when Zeke said "But you're not complaining, are you?" and he blushed slightly and kept quiet his friend knew he had won and the others as well as they hung Tris' coat in the wardrobe next to the front door and starting introducing themselves, bombarding the poor girl with questions and almost suffocating her with their attentions but she was used to it being friend with Christina and Marlene, definitely not the quiet ones… God they were going to make so many new friends, Tris trembled at the thought but not because Tobias' friends were 'just a little bit' over excited and a little crazy because her friends - well Lynn not really buy most of them - had always been exactly the same and she loved them, she knew she would have got on well with all those guys… the only problem was her situation with Tobias, she would have never ever seen the end of it! She shivered visibly at the thought. Christina meeting Tobias… dangerous, really dangerous but she didn't have a way out since she had 'agreed' to stay and invite her friends over, the two groups would have met that night and 'the rest is history'.

I'll let you imagine Chris' reactions at her best friend's call, it almost defended Tris between screams and shouts and at the speed of light they arrived, all together, surprisingly all on time. The girls were obviously the most excited and malicious but Will, Paul and Alex didn't seem to mind either as they immediately got started with introductions, this time Tris thankfully managed to catch and take note of all those names, she had missed at least half of them during the first round still to confused and taken aback to actually connect her neurons.

Zeke: Tobias' best friend. Already met.

Shauna: Zeke's wife and mother of his daughter Zoey that was at her parents' house for the night.

Uriah: Zeke's younger brother, had taken after him goofiness and silly-ness. Already met.

Precious or Pre: Tobias' cousin, they had always been really close since growing up. Proud African-American.

George and Amar: boyfriend and boyfriend, Tobias' longtime friends.

Ellie: Tobias' neighbor and friend.

And well Tobias of course, on the other side: Christina and Will, Lynn and Taeyeon, Marlene, Alex, Cassandra and Paul, Al and Tris.

It took a fraction of millisecond for the two groups to start interacting and mixing, eager to meet new people, shyness and timidity non existing: laughter, questions, voices and noises coming from every single direction: small new-created groups here and there in the kitchen, living room and doorway. Nobody was standing alone nor staying quiet, a miracle was actually happening before their eyes and both Tris and Tobias were requested here and there, moving from group to group no stop and actually never meeting until she 'escaped' in the kitchen that everybody had left to take a breath and a glass of water, Tobias immediately excusing himself to follow her.

A glass in one hand and her forehead resting against the cold surface of his cupboards she let out a sigh, kind of overwhelmed even if in a good way, her eyes were closed so she only noticed Tobias' presence when he chuckled at her exhausted-sounding breath, she turned around to face him but he had been faster, the three or four steps that had been separating them until a few seconds before no longer between them, she came face to face with his chest, his scent and his white shirt.

"I'm sorry" she mumbled resting her cheek on the soft and rich fabric, his chin immediately finding its place on her head, his left hand on her hip.

"For?"

"I didn't mean to invade your place" she chuckled while saying the words, that was actually funny and in fact he laughed, his chest moving under her.

"It's okay. Zeke is the king of parties and he wouldn't have let this occasion go without organizing something! Plus our friends would have met anyways sooner or later"

"Oh yeah? Is that so?" she asked, she knew what he was talking about but teasing one another had always been a component of their relationship.

"Ah ah, very funny. Don't think I'm gonna forget about my final prize so easily, I'll claim it when time comes." Tris shivered at his words and a smile formed on his lips, he had noticed. "Oh and for the record I finished the fourth book this morning, right on time for our Thanksgiving date" This time she bit her lower lip to avoid letting out sounds from her mouth, excitement filling her veins as she pressed her legs together at the same time absorbed in her fantasies, it took her a while to analyze his words but eventually she did: "When? This morning?"

"Yeah" he laughed at his one words before meeting her eyes that were now staring up at him with her eyebrows furrowed and eventually explaining. "It's really not my fault. My sister banned me from her kitchen, she thinks I'm a disaster and a troublemaker, she didn't let me in" Tris burst into laughter, the situation so hilarious she started shaking and tears filled her eyes, the loud echo of her guffawing attracting Chris that seconds later broke into the room finding them in that 'compromising' position, a knowing look on her face, a 'hu-uh' expression plastered, a mischievous smile on her lips.

Tobias tried but didn't manage to pull away as he heard someone approaching, too tangled and full on spooning with the girl in his arms, Tris whispered a "here we go, get ready" and his "For?" died in his throat, just the first sound leaving his lips before Chris cut him off.

"Hi, here you are. I was looking for you" Tris wanted to slap herself in the face, why had she allowed such a thing? Zeke's charm and planning-mode had taken her off guard and that was the result, she emitted a nervous chuckle as a goofy, awkward expression changed Tobias' face, the atmosphere ruined, silence welcomed her statement but she didn't really seem to care as she carried on "You know I'd like to have a word with you Tobias, there's a lot to say, a lot to ask…" his Adam's apple hit Tris head as he took a breath and let out a "Sure, it'll be nice". Chris looked a little surprised he had actually answered, she hadn't expected it but at his words a malicious smile formed on her lips "Sure, it'll be fun. For me at least! Anyway you're friends are really cool, we're enjoying the party out there" she pointed behind her back towards the living room, it was darker there, colorful neon here and there, loud music and probably a lot of beers and shots.

"Uriah totally has a thing for Marlene, that guy is filter-less really. He's hilarious, you should have seen him but you know you were… busy here" Her yes darted from her best friend to the poor poor guy next to her before adding "Oh and you know Zeke's really fun. And talkative. Funny how I discovered you, Tris, are attending a Thanksgiving formal business dinner in a few days and that it is a date. Very funny"

Oh-oh!

 **PMs and reviews are always much appreciated!**

 **~OceanicGirl**


	16. chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

 **THANK YOU** : Thank you all for your reviews, follows, favs and PMs, they really mean a lot to me and I'm so glad a lot of people seem to like this story! Thank you!

 **WARNINGS** : *Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC*

 **DISCLAIMER** : I don't own "The Divergent Trilogy"

As Tris soon found out Emily and James were great fan of Christmas and as soon as Thanksgiving passed by - just a couple of days later - their excitement and Christmassy love started showing and affecting almost everything: the books on the coffee table or on the shelves in their living room were replaced with Christmassy and festive ones, the little angelic girl started practicing typical and traditional songs with her piano and when she wasn't other CDs were playing in the background, music creating the atmosphere even if it wasn't even December yet, still a few days to go. At school then they had started working on projects about winter, Christmas traditions and that kind of stuff and that had done nothing but add and increase the kids' happiness and excitement so it didn't surprise Tris much when, on a normal Friday afternoon, they pleaded her to cook some festive cookies and work together on some homemade decorations they had seen on a bricolage book for children, their enthusiasm contagious and their big bright pleading eyes impossible to resist.

Lauren found them like this when she arrived back home after work: all absorbed by their task, tons of colorful sheets of paper covering the whole table - and that was saying something considering its surface -, pencils and felt-tip pens thrown here and there as well as some glue and scissors, small Christmas trees, golden stars and some other decorations resting on the mess. The kids were super proud and thrilled and welcomed their mother with squeals and happy screams, immediately rushing towards the door to show her their masterpieces.

"Mommy mommy look!" Their smile were priceless and even Lauren that looked very tired and stressed brightened, her eyes lightening up at such a welcoming and in a few seconds she was on the floor, her left knee resting on the rich carpet, kids in her arms as they showered her with kisses and hugs.

"They're amazing! Wow! We absolutely have to hang them somewhere and start decorating, what you say?"

"Yeees yes!!" The kids' squeals so loud and cheerful that earned some more smiles from Lauren and Tris, well she actually hadn't stopped grinning, her lips quirked up from minutes at their enthusiasm and happiness.

"Okay, this weekend we'll work on that. How does it sound?" nods welcomed the mum's proposal and James turned towards Tris with a huge grin, his tooth - the ones he had and hadn't fallen yet - showing "On Monday you'll see that! Our home looks amazing all decorated!"

"We have the tallest tree and all the lights and mistletoe! It's so amazing" Emily chimed in, her voice high, her eyes glistening.

"What is it? What do I see here?" Lauren asked pointing at James' cheek and mouth in the meantime, a goofy expression appearing on his face in an instant.

"It's chocolate" Emily answered in a malicious tone "He ate his advent calendar chocolate" his brother stickied out his tongue at his sister's words and Tris chuckled despite her attempts to hold that sound in.

"I was hungry!" it's James's answer, now that made everyone laugh, or better the way he said that, Lauren pecked his cheek affectionately and ran her hand through her son's hair and played with it for a few seconds as he leant in her touch, the scene extremely cute.

"C'mon! We need to finish our decowation, can we mommy?"

"Of course, go go" Lauren said unwrapping her arms from the impatient kids shuddering in excitement and now shaking their hands full of trees and paper origami, sprinting towards the living room and disappearing there in a second leaving Tris and Lauren alone still in the doorway.

"You're a blessing Tris. I'm a disaster at making decorations and I hate it, unlike them" the mother of Emily and James said standing up from her kneel down position and brushing her black trousers with one-hand, before taking her coat and heels off, her designer purse already resting in the wooden wardrobe, but even once lighter and free from superfluous hindrance she looked exhausted and crushed.

"Not a big deal really" the nanny chuckled out before turning serious and a little concerned "Is everything okay?" she asked, she wouldn't have dared to months before when she had been new at her job and their relationship strictly employer-employee but they were well past that, now more than acquaintances, friends even.

"Yes...No… I've just had a really bad and stressful day" she stopped a second but soon started talking again "I'm dealing with a difficult case and…" another pause before going on looking afflicted "I received an unpleasant phone call… I'm sorry I don't want to bother you with my incoherent babbling. It's not such a big deal, I'll tell you another day now I just want this day to pass by"

"Okay, hope everything will fall into the right place" Tris wished her with a warm smile before glancing at the clock and discovering it was already six forty, time for her to leave but not before giving Emily and James a hug and displaying her excitement for the upcoming decorations, hugs and loud kisses the usual goodbye for the beloved nanny.

Tris was already out on the steps ready to head to her parents' place when she heard Lauren calling her name from the doorway so she turned around ready to hear everything but what the other woman said.

"Have fun tomorrow night" followed by a knowing smile and a wink.

Nothing else could have shocked Tris more, she was left speechless and her instant replay was just physical: blush reddened her whole face until it became the shade of a ripe tomato, she was frozen in place for a little bit, unable to form words in her head invaded by a ton of different questions. Why did she know? Had Tobias told her? Had Zeke? Was she angry she had kept such a thing from her? Why hadn't she said something earlier?

Luckily or probably unluckily - Tris didn't know - Lauren didn't give her time to replay as she closed the door with another wink leaving Tris confused, a million emotions running through her mind and body. She was on fire and she didn't know if it was for excitement, embarrassment or something else but that sensation did not leave her until she closed her eyes and collapsed on her bed, exhausted because of the eventful day and the tornado of mixed and contrasting feelings giving her no peace.

Just the butterflies in her stomach did not leave her. And the thought of Tobias.

When Tobias arrived and parked in front of Tris' apartment on Saturday for the Thanksgiving dinner of his company he was definitely early, a good ten minutes early but all excited and thrilled, adrenalin filling his veins; he had got ready at the speed of light and got bored waiting doing nothing on his couch trying killing the time, too eager to see and spend time with her.

Not wanting to interrupt or stress her with his unexpectedly early coming he tried waiting in his black fancy shiny car but he only managed to resist for two minutes, sure he was a little bit nervous but just the tiniest tiniest bit, excitement obviously winning over. He smoothed his coat and suit on the steps and took a deep breath to calm down a little bit and get prepared to face his beautiful date before knocking.

But he wasn't prepared at all and it showed!

His jaw dropped, his mouth fell open and his ability of speak flew out of the window as soon as Chris, once opened the door, took a couple of steps back and pushed Tris forward, making her visible to him. His reaction was priceless, she was standing there silent and shy and he was openly staring at her, unable to make a move and close his mouth, completely frozen in place by her beauty. Astonished.

Her hair was down, wavy and golden as ever, almost reaching her elbow. Her eyes were shining and glistening, light make-up making them look even more amazing and captivating than usual, her eyelashes long and dark, a thin line of eyeliner making them stand out. Her cheeks were flushed, probably more because of her blushing than the actual make-up, her skin fair, her rosy sensual lips smiling, her face bright and breathtaking. Her dress… it looked amazing to him, it fitted perfectly, hugged her body in a delicious way and made her look like a goddess even more than her everyday clothes. Dark red, burgundy. And long, really long, so long he couldn't see her feet but he knew she was wearing heels anyway, she was still shorter than him but not her usual pettiness, he could tell from four, five steps away. He knew nothing about fashion and clothes, especially women clothes, but his eyes - on which he did not have control - roamed up and down her body, slowly, drinking in her beauty and on that perfect dress that looked cut for her: its color was perfect for her skin tone and her hair looked even more golden, its design was divine with the loose skirt, a ribbon encircling her body above her hips making her waistline stand out, a bow adorning it, elbow-length loose sleeves but tight at the end just the cherry on the cake, a couple of rigid slim gold bracelets completing the outfit, no other jewellery on display.

Breathtaking. Literally.

"Wanna catch flies?" Tris asked chuckling once a little wave of courage and teasing attitude washed over her, giving her a way out from that situation. She was feeling a little embarrassed and shy under his stare, maybe even a little bit self-conscious even if his eyes told her nothing but how much he was appreciating the view, she still felt all hot and her breath was even, he looked absolutely handsome in a suit, it was fancier than the ones she had seen or at least it looked better on him than any other suit on any other man she had seen wearing one. He really looked like a model or something, never seen someone that handsome, her mouth was dry.

Her witty remark thankfully smoothed the tension a little bit, she was surprised Chris hadn't said anything yet, sure she had elbowed her a couple of times and Tris could bet to have heard a 'whipped' mumbled from beside her but she had kept quiet, till then anyway.

"I… You… It's just… Wow" Tobias surely hadn't re-gained complete control over his brain and mouth but that was something, Tris chuckled again a little nervous before they fell into silence all over again, one too shy and the other still shocked and greatly affected by the sight in front of him, and right then Chris chimed in: "Oh for God's sake what are you? Sixteen? You close your mouth and do something, don't just stand there still as a statue! C'mon she's yours for the night and not just to be watched, do something. And you? C'mon you've got this fine piece of man here for you and you jut blush! C'mon Tris!! Do I have to teach you the bases?" she paused for a second before saying, almost streaming "C'mon!! Tris go take your coat, Tobias don't you dare ruin her make-up and hair yet, I worked hard on it. If things get spicy and hot you'll have all the time you want tonight, once back from the date. Now hurry hurry hurry!" She practically pushed Tris down the stairs right into Tobias' chest, he reawakened immediately and caught her in his arms, pulling her tight to him and helping her regain equilibrium, once back stable on her feet she lifted her head and their eyes met, just a couple of inches apart and both of them broke out in a chuckle, partly nervous partly sincere and awkwardness was washed away, electricity now running in their veins, tingles where their bodies were connected and even more chills when he leant down and whispered "You're gorgeous Tris Prior" in her ear, his face in her neck, his lips brushing her skin.

"Chris' credit" she answered and she heard him mumble something similar to "don't think so" but Chris' voice loud and clear sovrasted his so she was not sure, she blushed anyway.

"Okay okay, you two! Time for a couple of pics together, I have to send them to all our friends and this is a moment we certainly don't wanna forget" she said in her excited tone, clapping her hands - or better her left hand and her phone in her right one - and also jumping impatiently, in her heels. How she managed to do such a thing was a mystery to Tris and most of their friends, thanks to all her teachings and afternoons of practise now Tris could walk on it without risking her life every time but she certainly could not jump!

"Really Chris? A pic?" Tris laughed "You sound like my mother the night of prom"

"There's a reason if I love your mum!" Chris laughed harder than her best friend who just rolled her eyes and started to face her completely, Tobias' arms still wrapped around her back, their sides still pressed together, she knew complaining would have been useless, she would have her pics on way or another so they could at least make it quick and painless.

The 'couple of pics' turned into something more like a reportage and a couple of slightly compromising photos where they were all wrapped up and snuggling were also taken, at some point, after a good two minutes, Tris mouthed 'help' to her date and in a friction of second of distraction on Chris' side he picked Tris up in his arms surprising her as much as her best friend and running towards the car, screaming a "bye" but never stopping his run to the car, they heard a couple of 'clicks' behind their shoulders but they were too busy laughing to really care, they were both out of breath when they eventually sat down in the vehicle but their laughter didn't stop.

"Hi Tobias" Tris said once they eventually stopped and caught their breath, her voice teasing.

"Hi Tris, or should I say my date?" he asked teasing back with a wink.

"Only if I get to call me my date"

"Deal. Wait what? Like real date?"

"No, for that you need to wait a little longer. I want to hear a full report about 'The Lord of The Ring' before but then..."

"Oh God" he sighed but he was being playful, she could tell, he started the car then and started driving to the big fancy hotel where the formal business dinner was but, as she noticed, his eyes were always going back and forth from the street to her, from her to the street but she kept quiet and so did he until he mumbled "God everyone will stare at you. I won't leave your side for a millisecond you know, before someone steals you from me" shaking his head as if in disbelief and it was in fact in disbelief: he didn't know how looking that amazing was even possible, she looked like a goddess, an ethereal creature or something!

Apart from that comment the ride flew by between small talk and questions, Tobias told her more about the dinner, his colleagues and workers and he did nothing to hide his excitement, he was beyond thrilled to have her as his date, 'mock' date and he certainly did not hold back in showing her off, proudly walking in holding her hand and then placing his hand on her lower back to lead her inside and introduce her to his co-workers and some important people, he certainly did not fail in making her feel important and confident, she still kept on the quiet side even because she was not really used to the environment but she did not feel uncomfortable, Tobias didn't allow that and always kept his eyes on her and his senses alerted ready to pick up her possible waves of discomfort and uneasiness. He wanted her to enjoy herself and that was why he soon introduced her to one of his closest friend from work and his wife, spending time with them and making sure Tris liked them and got to know them so that he then could leave for five minutes to go on with all the greetings and formal stuff necessary yet boring, of course before leaving he kissed her cheek making her blush in front of Anna and Jack who shared a knowing look but didn't push in that direction and immediately pulled her into their conversation as if they were long time friends and hadn't just met five minutes before, Tris immediately felt comfortable and found them really nice.

When Tobias joined them, arriving from behind and placing his hand on her back he found them laughing while sipping champagne from a flute, many waiters and waitresses has started walking around offering guests drinks and canapés before the real dinner, the room where it would have been served visible from the hall, bright and amazingly decorated with flowers and other sophisticated things.

"You're enjoying yourself?" He whispered when she looked up at him and met his eyes, a soft smile on her face and just a slight nod in response as she took a little step back so that her back was just millimeters from his chest, she could feel and enjoy the tingle and the electricity running between their bodies and breath in his unique scent. He was doing exactly the same, his face slightly bent down towards her hair, his hand uncontrollable as it reached for Tris' hip. Despite being a little distracted by one another the conversation went on easily even when they eventually sat down at their reserved table, it was in the middle and reserved for the bosses and highest position in the company only but it was surrounded by all the other tables, all the other employees, it was not something isolated or privileged. Jack and Anne were also at their table, right across from Tobias and Tris that got the chance to meet some other important people, her cordial and kind attitude and her sincere smile winning many of them over, her beauty doing the rest: at some point Tobias had to casually - but not so casually as he threw glances at a couple of men that had started flirting, more like embarrassing themselves trying to get a chance with his date - rest his arm on her seat-back earning curious looks from Tris that of course was oblivious to the whole thing, he just shook his head with a chuckle and kept eating.

That had so far been the best business dinner he had ever had, mainly because of the company because the speech he had to give wasn't less unpleasant that usual, public speaking had always made him nervous, he didn't like talking into a microphone to an audience, it was stressing and so it was that night but he tried to do his best and don't look too rushed or brief or wrong in any way. But walking down the small podium he grabbed a flute of champagne and drank it all in one sip before heading to the most gorgeous woman in the room that happened to be waiting for him,m with a smile!

The best part tho was the dancing time, he had never thought he would have said it but with Tris that was the case: after laughter, jokes, small talk, chats and funny stuff with a relaxed atmosphere having her, holding her in his arms, her body close to his, his arms wrapped around her touching her wonderful dress, hers wrapped around his neck, her head now resting against his chest and now looking up at him, their movements matching, the slow sensual intimate music playing in the background… that was a dream!

Or a nightmare as the urge to kiss her was strong, impossible to deny, the sexual tension tangible, tingles everywhere, excitement growing with each second - yeah also physically speaking! -, her irresistible scent driving him crazy as waves of courage washed over him from time to time: his hold tightening, his hands gradually moving down lower and lower, his face leaning down, his lips grazing her skin - cheek, neck, jaw… It was physically impossible to break apart and put some distance between them, they were like two magnets, two adults that had definitely crossed the 'friend-zone', the 'friend-line' but for some unknown reason didn't want to admit it or do something about it, a book probably being the cause of it as ridiculous as it sounds.

Friendship. It was definitely not their thing anymore. They were well past it. Oh yes they were!

"What was that?" later that night, around two or maybe three in the morning when the goodbye time had eventually arrived after many hours of touches, laughter, tension and dances, Tris looked up at Tobias, her hand already on her front door knob, her lips parted in surprise, her voice sounding breathless and her body nearly collapsing. It had been light, father-light but it had been there. A kiss. A millimeter from her lips. She was in shock and total confusion, it had been nothing but everything at the same time. She was sure he had kissed her, but not really kissed her. Why… she didn't know. How she felt she didn't know.

"A mock kiss for a mock date" he whispered before disappearing in the darkness, leaving her there, stunned.

A mock kiss for a mock date.

Was that some sort of payback?

It was torture, for sure.

 **They almost kissed, things are developing here! What do you think?**

 **PMs and reviews are always much appreciated, thank you.** **~OceanicGirl**


	17. chapter note

Hey you all, I'm really sorry for the delay but my laptop broke down and I have all my drafts and chapters saved there :(

In a week, ten days maximum, it should be repaired so expect updates soon! I'll make it up for this awfully long wait!

Thank for your patient and support, see you soon!

~OceanicGirl


	18. chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

 **THANK YOU:** Thank you all for your reviews, follows, favs and PMs, they really mean a lot to me and I'm so glad a lot of people seem to like this story! Thank you!

 **SORRY:** for the long wait, mu computer is okay now so updates are gonna be more regular!!

 **WARNINGS** : *Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC*

 **DISCLAIMER** : I don't own "The Divergent Trilogy"

When loud bangs on her front door and restless rings of her bell woke Tris up around eight she grunted from her bed for a good two minutes still lost in her semi-awake semi-sleepy confused state, reality and dreams mixing together until her phone ringtone joined the unwelcomed concert.

 _Chris_!

She thought lazily untangling from her covers and getting up to go open the door. It was awfully early for her best friend but Tris was sure it was her, she knew Chris would have woke up at six in the morning if that meant she would have got to know everything, every single detail, every juicy fact about Tris' date with Tobias and she also knew she wouldn't have given up, oh no!

Chills and thrills ran in her veins at the memory of the previous night - not that during the night she had dreamt about something else! - but she stopped in the doorway and took a deep breath getting ready to face a very curious and insistent Christina, she didn't need a smile plastered on her face or dreamy eyes when opening the door, it would have only added excitement to her best friend's already thrilled state. And she didn't need that. Not when Chris was already waking up the entire neighborhood and almost breaking down her front door. She was definitely already over excited!

As soon as the door in front of her opened the tiniest bit Chris pushed it and bursted in coming face to face with a still-in-pjs Tris while she was perfectly dressed but most important fully awake despite the early hours, her eyes shining bright and her lips reaching her cheekbone. She let out a loud scream, clapped her hands and jumped in her heels a couple of times, her eagerness and excitement clearly uncontrollable as she started her monologue, questions and exclamations and facts and squeals and wide smiles all mixed in.

"So? How was it? I want details girls!! How was it? Wait wait wait are you alone in here or is he here? He isn't or is he? C'mon spill spill spill? How was it? He kissed you? Did you? Did he introduce you as his date? Real date? Do not start with the whole 'mock date' thing, you keep tell yourself that but I'm not buying it. I saw you two last night remember? Oh my God, you're killing me. Speak speak speak. I neeeed to know" Tris honestly had never seen her this awake and alive before four in the afternoon in her whole life, she looked high she thought chuckling in her head but already fearing the following hours. Yes, hours. Tris was sure Chris wouldn't have let her cut it short.

"How can I 'spill it' as you said if you haven't shut your mouth in the past five minutes? First of all good morning and no- you need to wait for your beloved details 'cause I definitely need a coffee before, actually two" Tris said closing her front door and heading to the kitchen not even checking if her best friend was actually following her, her voice reached her.

"Make it three!" Tris turned with shock written all over her face and Chris burted out in laughter before clarifying "Because I want one as well, not three just for you missy. I think two will work just fine for you", Tris laughed as well as she thought the worst still had to come but was approaching, quickly!

Unfortunately Chris' quietness and silence only lasted for a couple of minutes and just because of the hot liquid and sweet better biscuits in her mouth, she soon went back to her investigations throwing one question after another one at record speed to an overwhelmed yet happy and excited Tris who still tried to hide her feelings and inner passion and surge trying to act casually and staying as quiet and modest as possible.

Her attempts failed tho and her best friend managed to wring things out of her, many details and small things revealed; but she did manage to keep to herself the whole 'mock kiss' part because at Chris' question "Did you two kiss? Not on the cheek I mean because I know you share plenty of those kisses and do not try say otherwise because I know you do, I saw it and even immortalized it. On the lips I mean! Further down I know you didn't since you sweared you both kept your clothes on all date long. Don't worry about that tho, you'll have more occasions for that. Back on track: Kisses? On the lips?" she answered with a quiet "No" and a slight blush that Chris ascribed to the whole 'further down kisses' but that was only partly to attribute to that. Only partly because Tris knew the 'mock kiss' they had shared had been like really borderline between lips and cheek and that Chris would probably have considered that juicy enough but she still refused to tell her... It hadn't be really on her lips after all... After a eyes roll and a 'uff' leaving Tris' best friend's mouth she didn't let the slight disappointment get the best of her and proceeded with her intense and draining questioning.

️️️️️️️️️~~~

In the meantime on the other side of the city something similar was going on with Tobias and Zeke over the phone.

Waking in a really good mood had had a lively effect on Tobias who had gone for a run around his neighborhood around six thirty in the morning lost in his thoughts and memories from the past night before showering and getting ready to go to work despite the fact it was Sunday, he needed to get some important things done and organise a beneficial event to hold in a couple of weeks and he still had to sort many things out. Luckily his assistant had done an amazing job the previous week and a whole folder of documents, mails, letters was now on his desk just waiting to be looked through and signed here and there, what a precious help she had been! In front of his closet he had decided jeans, a shirt and a jumper would have made it, thrown his clothes on, had breakfast and driven to his workplace; he was in the lift heading to his floor when his phone rang in his pocket.

Zeke.

"Hello" he answered completely unprepared for what was coming, he had been in 'work-mood' since he had parked his car in the underground garage a few minutes before so all he was thinking about then were documents to fill in, phone calls to make, appointments to prepare for,...

"Hi man, how are you?"

"Fine, thanks. You?"

"I'm fine I'm fine but we're not talking about me right now!" Damn he had forgotten he knew about his date, 'mock date', Tobias wanted to slap himself right in the face, Zeke had always had great timing for these kind of things.

"So? How was it?" his friends insisted, speaking loud and clear, a hint of curiosity evident even through the mobile.

How had it been? Tobias found himself once again lost in memories, flashes, touching, feelings, kisses from the date and totally forgot about Zeke who, on the other side of the handset, was waiting for an answer… not that Tobias' silence wasn't one.

"You're already daydreaming!! You're whipped man. You're smiling like an idiot, aren't you?"

Zeke's voice startled Tobias a little bit and he was about to deny but actually found himself grinning, like an idiot, so his answer came out highly unconvincing: "Uh… no, no, I-I'm not"

"Oh yes you were, I'm not stupid. You were, you totally were" he was right "I guess the whole 'how did it go?' thing is unnecessary since obviously everything was fine. You know I saw the pictures,Tris looked damn hot and you- well that suit was wow"

Tobias tensed at the word 'hot', possessiveness and jealousy got to best of him for a few seconds.

Tris was _his_ , she had to be.

And hearing other male individuals refer to her using the word 'hot' was not okay with him.

The shook that feeling away tho, he had never been so protective and possessive before, it was not a good thing. Tris wasn't some propriety and she wasn't _his_ , she wasn't _with_ him neither. Not yet at least...hopefully soon…

"Hey man? Are you still there?"

"Yeah, yes. What were you saying?"

"I received your pictures from Christina but that was before the date. So? You're not gonna tell me anything?"

And here they were, the questioning started for Tobias as well and of course he ended up spending one precious hour of his time explaining things to his best friend and answering his questions. He was worse than a girly-girl sometimes and hearing and listening to him he thought about Tris and he speculated that she was experiencing something similar and indeed she was. He also chuckled and shook his head at fate when he realized that their best friends were nothing but similar. Chris and Zeke. Yeah definitely an explosive duo.

️️️~~~

When he told her so the following night at Lauren's house where he had stopped by to say hi to his sister, niece, nephew and of course to her she had laughed wholeheartedly and told him making them meet had been a terrible idea, he did not agree or disagree but certainly laughed. She was obviously joking because she was glad their groups of friends had met, things had felt familiar and very cheerful and fun that night at Tobias' but Zeke and Chris together were definitely hard to handle.

"Uncle Toby, uncle Toby" Emily called his uncle when he was about to leave to head home on Monday evening and Tris was getting ready as well. It had been an eventful afternoon, the kids were still all absorbed and excited about Christmas and decorations so between homework, a snack, bricolage and reading time she was quite exhausted.

They had even had an interesting talk when they had shown her their Christmassy photo album, especially when they had told her they could ice-skate and she had offered to take them one day during their break. They had of course been enthusiastic and chuckling they had added that their uncle was not able to, it had always sounded really funny to the two and Tris had came up with an idea, a genial one so they had ganged up against the 'poor Toby' to surprise him.

"Yes princess?" he already had his coat on but kneel down to be at his niece's eyes level.

"Tris said that-"

"Shut up Emily! It's top-secret" James chimed in stopping his sister and throwing her a glance, his index in front of her lips to shush her.

"I know! I wasn't going to tell uncle Toby _that_ , I know it's a secwet"she whispered-shouted it earning a curious look from the man in front of her.

"What is it this secret?"

"You're silly uncle: I can't tell you if it's a secwet!" she made everybody chuckle at her loveliness and Tris winked at her when their eyes met giving her a thumb up as well.

"Mmm I'll have to investigate then" Tobias said in his playful tone pretending to be a detective with an imaginary lens in front of his left eye.

"You won't find out" it was James this time, he sounded sure and proud.

"I was saying that Tris said you were very handsome last last night. She told mommy that but I agwee, you're _beautiful_ " Emily the little innocent angelic creature said and nobody corrected her 'beautiful', everyone was busy doing something else: Tris was blushing and she was tomato red, Lauren was laughing hard, Tobias had the goofiest smile on his face, James was busy trying to figure out what had happened and Emily wasn't even perplex.

"After this pearl I think you two can go" Lauren eventually managed to say once her breathing was back to normal, and for the record Tris was still the deepest shade of red.

"So I looked handsome on our date night, uh?" Nothing and nobody would have manages to wash the smug grin from his lips, and once out on the stairs he teased her quite a lot, elbowing her and making witty remarks and questions.

"Oh shut up, I don't need to say that because you were"

"You've just admitted that"

"Oh God" she was… purple then, much darker than her usual red blush.

"Thank you. You were beautiful as well, really beautiful. And I liked my goodbye, did you?" as he mentioned it butterflies filled her stomach at the memory of his lips just millimeters apart from hers, a feeling and a memory that had been keeping her company for the previous 48 hours or so.

"It wasn't bad but I'm sure you can do better"

"Oh I know I do. But I still have some pages left so you'll have to wait"

"I will" This time _she_ stood on her tiptoes and placed a feather kiss on the corner of his lips but not really reaching them before turning away and hurrying to her car.

"You can do better"

"But you have to earn it! " she screamed back before hopping her and starting the engine and driving away. Her eyes shining from the reawaken feelings and the surprise they had organized, she couldn't wait.

And she hoped he was a fast reader, for many reasons.

 **What do you think?**

 **PMs and reviews are always much appreciated, thank you.**

 **~OceanicGirl**


	19. chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

 **THANK YOU:** Thank you all for your reviews, follows, favs and PMs, they really mean a lot to me and I'm so glad a lot of people seem to like this story! Thank you!

 **WARNINGS** : *Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC*

 **DISCLAIMER** : I don't own "The Divergent Trilogy"

"Hi mum, it's Beatrice"

"Oh honey, hi. It's nice to hear from you" Natalie's tone wasn't accusing, not one bit but Tris felt a little bad anyway. She hadn't visited her parents much in the past couple of weeks and she was feeling guilty even if she knew it hadn't been because she didn't want to but just because of her impossibly busy schedule.

"Yeah I know… I'm sorry I haven't stopped by in a few days but I'm really busy between classes, exams and the kids…"

"No worries, I understand…" her mother's selflessness was admirable, she had always put others before herself, Tris had two great people to look up to.

"I have a little time today, can I come over? I have something for you and I also need-"

"Sure, what do you need?"

"My ice-skates… they must be in my old room or in the basement 'cause I can't find them at my place and I need them tomorrow"

"You going ice-skating? It's fun!" some old memoirs popped in Tris' mind, flashes of her family skating on the frozen surface of a lake in the woods where they would spend Christmas holidays when she was younger, her father almost always on his butt, Caleb terrified the first times but then enthusiastic, her mother dancing on her skates and she having a ton on fun.

She shook her head tho, she had not time to waste, her professor had already arrived and her class was about to start, barely five minutes before it.

"Yep, I'll tell you about it later. Do you have any idea where they could be?"

"I really don't I'm sorry but if you're in a hurry I can look for them before you stop by"

"No, it's okay thank you. I'll come around…"

"Whenever you want, you know you're always welcomed here" Natalie's voice was cheerful but Tris noticed the tiredness in it anyway and worried a little.

"Are you at home mama? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything's fine…It's nothing" she was not and didn't sound very convinced not convincing.

"Mama!"

"It's just a cold, nothing serious I promise"

"Mhhm okay, do you need anything? Pills? Cough syrup?"

"No, it's okay. You know I hate that stuff!"

An idea hit her unexpectedly and Tris asked, kind of out of the blue "Do you have ginger at home?"

"Mhmm don't think so… your dad don't really like it…but-"

"Well I have some, I'll bring it over. Or better I'll prepare you a drink with ginger and boiled water, you know the one granny gave me last winter when I was sick? It really helped with my cold and cough and it tastes better than syrup for sure!"

"Oh okay honey, thank you. Come whenever you want and please don't worry for me too much, I'm fine I promise"

"Yes yes okay, see you later" Tris ended the phone call and entered her class for her final lesson before her test, she had decided to take that extra class to then be allowed to deal with children with Down's Syndrome. It was a sort of master and only other three students were attending it… She remembered clearly how she had felt when she had found out: a little sad and disappointed even if not really surprised and that was the worst thing: she knew Down's Syndrome was still hardly judged and that a lot of people didn't want to have anything to do with kids and adults affected by it, it was awful she knew and that was the reason why she was so determined and ready to work hard to succeed. Acceptance was so important to her and wanted to spread it.

She greeted her very few classmates and sat down with them, ready to focus and pay attention to their professor, a great teacher and a wonderful person - ice-skating, her mum's cold and Tobias' surprised not interfering with her thoughts and mind for the following two hours after which she headed to her childhood house, found what she was looking for, took care of her mum for a little bit and briefly met her dad while she was leaving to go pick Emily and James up from school and he was going back home to check on his wife.

Happy to have met both her parents and found her ice-skates that were now in the trunk of her car she spent a lovely and exciting afternoon with the kids, overthirlled about the surprise they couldn't focus on anything not related with it. They were all absorbed in the preparation and definitely hyperactive, thankfully they had no homework for the following day because it would have been a disaster, they really were out of control, eyes shining in anticipation and electrified. They drove Tris to exhaustion with all their running, jumping, screaming, planning, dancing, laughing and that night she fell asleep on her couch with her TV on around nine and just her phone beeping woke her up, she would have spent the whole night there otherwise.

The kitchen light was still on when she stirred and stretched on the sofa before getting up with a yawn and sighed at the sight of the dirty plate, glass and pots waiting on the counter next to the sink and her phone, the screen on because of the just received text or phone call, she wasn't sure so she checked.

A missed call from Tobias.

She really was drained and tempted not to call back but she couldn't, she really enjoyed talking to him - not only talking - so she eventually swiped her finger on his ID photo on her phone screen and put it on speaker before starting the water to do the washing up.

At least five minutes had passed since his first call so he took him a little bit to answer but he did and his voice immediately put a smile on her lips, a tired one but still a smile, soft and sweet, her heart fluttering and beating a little bit faster in her chest. Chatting as always came naturally and easily and they ended up talking for half an hour while Tris washed her plates, got ready to bed and lay down on it almost falling asleep while still on the phone. He had called hoping she would have spilled something more about the famous surprise waiting for him the following day but she had managed to keep her mouth shut, just telling him to be ready at 3 in the afternoon so that she could pick him up and drive to their secret destination, she was a fabulous secret keeper so he eventually had to give up and change the subject, small talk and light stuff replacing his failed questioning. So when her voice became more and more faint before vanishing mid-sentence he chuckled.

"Tris, Tris" he called her a couple of times to wake her up enough to wish her goodnight.

"Mhmm" it was a mumble, a suffocated sleepy groan.

"Goodnight beautiful, see you tomorrow" he whispered blowing her a kiss before ending the phone call, he was not sure if she had heard him since he received no answer but he was okay with it. It had felt quite intimate, blowing her a kiss after calling her 'beautiful' sincerely, not in a teasing voice or anything and whispering a soft - almost enamoured - 'goodnight', that girl definitely had him head over heels, that he liked it or not.

And he did like it.

He just couldn't read fast enough, a good one hundred pages between his bookmark and the last chapter, damn!

~~~~

"C'mon princess, just a little clue" Tobias was pretty much begging her niece and nephew for hints and clues now that he had eventually got Tris' lips were sealed but it just wasn't hs lucky day since Emily and James just kept on giggling and chuckling without let anything relevant out of their mouths. Those kids were smart, really, surprisingly smart and they were having such a great time teasing their dear uncle, their eyes vivid and amused in the back seats, Tris was watching them through the rear view mirror while driving and they were using it to look at their blindfolded uncle Toby, sat next to their nanny. Winks and knowing glances shared by the three of them who were enjoying Tobias' cluelessness as they had been doing for the past half an hour or so, they were almost arrived tho, just ten or fifteen minutes before their surprise would have been revealed.

The plan was that Emily and James would have helped him out of the car and led him to the ice-skating location where a small lodge for the skates rent was and only then they would have take off the blindfold and let their uncle find out where they were, Tris' task was filming the whole scene - in particular his reaction - and they would all have taken pics and photos. Lauren really wanted a photo feature to make it up for her absence, because of a trial she hadn't been able to come but she did want a reportage!

"Here we are...No no no, keep it on! You still can't see!" Tris said and stopped Tobias who was already - eagerly - taking the blindfold off his eyes, an exasperated snort his response, he had given up.

Watching the young kids guide the tall man who for once wasn't wearing a fancy shirt, jacket, suit or dress pants but just in a pair of black jeans - that on him didn't look worse than a pair of smart pants as Tris had immediately noticed -, a warm jumper and a duffle coat was quite a cute sight. So professional and kind of intimidating with most people but a real softy with Lauren and her children and very sexy, tempting and goofy at the same time with her, that man - Tris thought - was quite special.

His face was priceless when he was allowed to see again: anxiously curious, confused, shocked and kind of terrified at the end when he noticed the pair of skates waiting for him and Tris' smug smile, the camera in one hand recording everything, the kids' squeals and happy screams as well. The surprise started off hilariously and went on the same way - laughter, silly moments, falls, wide worried eyes, pictures, strong hand grips, dances, advices and demonstrations,...

Emily and James were already able to skate and turned out to be incredibly fast learners as Tris taught them some movements, techniques and steps while Tobias was busy gripping and holding on the rink enclosure, his knuckles white trying not to fall on his butt immediately, just arrived and once put his skates on... Quite a memorable scene!

Once finished helping and teaching the kids Tris turned her attention to him and chuckled slightly at his struggling but not out of malice, arrogance or pride, just because it was fun to see and it had certainly been a great surprise. In a couple of skates she was next to him - Emily and James already swirling somewhere behind their backs probably rushing between the other few people around - ready to help him as well.

"Don't look down" she said softly and kindly "It just makes things more difficult, you may collide with someone else and it does not help your balance, quite the opposite actually"

"Easier said than done" he mumbled, his hands still on the enclosure.

"Look at me, look at my face, eyes, lips whatever you want. Look at my face"

"Ugh, not doin' that" it was just another mumble, he was really struggling. He was feeling like his knees were ready to give in and he would have soon ended up on the cold ice. He was making a fool of himself but that wasn't really a problem, or was it?

"C'mon! I know you like my face, you love my eyes for sure as you keep on telling me this and I also think you have a thing for my lips, don't you? I've notice your staring you know" she teased him trying to lighten the atmosphere and make him feel better and it worked: a smile slowly appeared on his lips and he turned his head towards her, their eyes meeting despite the awkward angle.

"Give me your hand, we'll skate now. It'll be fun, I promise and I'll be right here beside you" she encouraged him gently, tugging at his jacket when he looked about to decline.

It took her at least five minutes but eventually she managed to convince him and one at a time he loosened the grip of his hands on the enclosure, the second one leaving the safe spot on it only when the other was gripping Tris' tightly, she wasn't complaining tho: it felt good anyway, knowing he trusted her felt good, incredibly good even if it wasn't something romantic or strictly dating-connected, just a friendly gesture. His hand holding hers was still able to give her thrills even if she knew it was not time for that, he certainly wasn't feeling thrills right then, still kind of stiff.

"C'mon move your feet this way, the right one like this, the other one like this" she instructed him while demonstrating the bases to a very uncertain Tobias, frozen in place at first but slowly getting less and less tense, slowly relaxing a little bit until he felt comfortable and confident enough to really stand straight and quit looking at the tip of his feet every now and then, he was still holding Tris' hand tho and probably not because of his balance or fear to fall.

"Uncle, you can do it!" Emily's cheerful and excited scream reached them when they had been skating quite smoothly around the rink for about ten minutes, it was already five thirty in the afternoon but now that things were really getting fun Tobias had no intention of driving back home and neither had Tris.

"Yeees" he shouted back before his eyes went wide for a moment when she and her brother approached them at the speed of light just to stop barely a step from them, avoiding a collision.

"Smile" James requested before clicking on his camera taking a picture of Emily standing between Tris and Tobias, their joined hands above her head, all their faces smiling and snow on their jackets and trousers.

More pictures followed as well as races, silly dances, laughter, twirls and yes some falls as well! But not only on Tobias' side, they all fell on their backside at least once, no one got seriously hurt and everyone got up laughing and soon recovered. The most hilarious one had probably been when Tris and Tobias collided and fell on one another, they had been trying to skate from different directions and meet in the centre of the rink but the first time they had missed one another completely, their hand not even brushing, while the second time quite the opposite had happened and they had had a head-on collision that had sent Tobias on his butt, his back lying on the ice and Tris on him, their chest pressed together, their legs tangled and their head just millimeters apart, eyes locked intensely, lips almost brushing.

That had been quite a moment! And they had stayed like that longer than necessary, in no rush to get up, too into their eye connection and the feeling of their bodies together, strong and intoxicating despite the layers of clothes.

It was only around seven, seven thirty in the evening that they reluctantly handed the rented ice-skates in and hopped back on the car, no blindfold on this time, just content, happy and tired smiles, glistening eyes. It had been an amazing afternoon, in their hearts they knew they would have never forgotten it.

It had been the perfect fifth gift for Tobias but the next one would have certainly

been the most yearned for.

The date.

 **There are not many chapters left, we're getting closer and closer to the end... What do you think? How do you feel about it?**

 **PMs and reviews are always much appreciated, thank you.**

 **~OceanicGirl**


	20. chapter 19

**CHAPTER** **NINETEEN**

 **THANK YOU:** Thank you all for your reviews, follows, favs and PMs, they really mean a lot to me and I'm so glad a lot of people seem to like this story! Thank you!

 **WARNINGS** : *Divergent AU modern days* *A bit of a slow burn* *Characters may be OOC*

 **DISCLAIMER** : I don't own "The Divergent Trilogy"

"I like this music, who is playing?" Tris' father spoke loud enough to be heard above the song currently playing in their car, grandma Rose was next to him looking out of the window deep in thought - probably trying to find some gossip to share or some grandma embarrassing stuff -, Tris and Natalie were in the back seats.

"It's a band I went to see live a month ago or so, they're great and we bought a couple of CDs"

"They are" Andrew smiled and gave his daughter a thumb up thought the rear view mirror before his wife chimed in.

"And exactly who does 'we' involve?"

Tris rolled her eyes and refused to answer and happily accepting her dad's help as he told someone needed to text Caleb and Susan to let them know they were almost there - of course Tris volunteered.

"You were there with Tobias, weren't you?" Tris probably blushed at Natalie's insinuation and wasn't good enough at keeping her face still, her mother read her expression even though she wasn't looking in her direction, her face down, eyes fixed on her chat with Caleb on the phone screen. Unbelievable!

"You totally were!" she squealed, like actually squealed as an excited twelve-year-old excited girl.

"Mum please!" she whispered-shouted praying she would have dropped it but of course something went wrong and it was her granny's turn to question her. Of course she wanted to know who Tobias was and why she hadn't met him yet nor been introduced to him and his family - she had definitely misunderstood, a wedding plan probably already taking shape in her mind. Ugh!

"Can we please stop talking about my _friend_ , thank you. Mum you're just like Christina! One is enough!" Tris eventually let out quite exasperated, his father - the only one who hadn't asked anything - chuckled and silently mouthed 'women' at her.

"Always loved Chris" Natalie said but didn't add anything else and even gave Tris a slightly apologetic smile, the moment and short break once again ruined by a Rose's biting remark.

"If he really was just a friend of yours why would you be so embarrassed about the topic? You can't fool me darling , I'm too old. And wise. I see things…"

Tris really wanted to disappear, the ten minutes it would have taken them from where they were to Susan and Caleb's house would have been the longest of her life!

\--

"Hey Mum, Dad, Granny, Tris welcome. How was it? Busy roads?" Caleb greeted them while they were still half in the car, looking happy yet a little funny with his messy hair, crooked glasses and enormous coat - it probably five sizes bigger than his and really made him look quite hilarious.

"No, just some ice on it a couple of times but there was no traffic thankfully" Andrew answered his son's question stepping towards him to hug his son.

"Oh wow, you've been lucky. During Christmas time it usually is really congested. Well maybe it's because there are still four days until Christmas Day…" he stopped seeming deep in thoughts for a few seconds before shrugging and adding "Come, come in please. It's cold here" and opening the front door wide to let his family members and their luggages enter, the small garden covered by a coat of shiny white snow, a few footsteps here and there, the lane to the porch clean.

Once in Susan and his really swollen belly welcomed the just arrived guests, a tray covered by cups, slices of a pie, biscuits and some coffee and hot chocolate - Tris' favorite winter drink - in her arms and a sweet and joyful smile on her face, she looked radiant and happy as ever, this pregnancy was really affecting her in the best way. Everyone basically told her so after long affectionate hugs and kisses - and a lot of caresses on her bump over the oversized jumper she was wearing ( normal clothes just didn't fit anymore) by Tris, amazed and excited as she literally couldn't wait to be an auntie!

The due date was now really close - and it shown! -, that the reason why Tris, her parents and Grandma Rose had decided to go and visit Caleb and his wife for Christmas themselves and not the other way around as usual, the car ride would have been really pained for Susan in her condition and state. To avoid risks they had decided to go over and spend a week there, at their place, and help the pregnant woman with all the cooking and stuff for that festive period. Caleb was probably of little or no help, not that he didn't care or something like that but his mind was usually all focused on projects, experiments and scientific stuff so yeah, certainly not interested in Christmassy decorations - Tris thought she could have brought Emily and James with her!

\--

The first couple of days of this kind of improvised family holiday passed quickly between chats, talks, some strolls around the small town, snowballs battles and snowmen building. It felt good to be together, carefree and relaxed because since Caleb had moved away with Susan those moments were not so frequent anymore and they all missed it a little bit, even Rose was enjoying herself a lot and managed to make friends with all the old woman living in the neighborhood - not that they had doubted it!

\--

When Christmas' Eve arrived it brought with it a whole new atmosphere, all cheerful and festive and happy, some sort of frenzy and excited that invested them all - well not really them all but Susan, Tris, Natalie and Rose for sure! Almost dancing in the kitchen, swirling around the counter between the fridge, the table, the oven and the burners they worked as a team all day long, Rose supervising the whole process, Susan sitting here and there peeling vegetables, chopping and washing carrots, potatoes and tomatoes, Natalie taking care of the meat and first course, Tris preparing a two-layer cake and some antipasti. The two men...Well they took care of the fireplace and set the table, put on some music and... yeah that was it...

\--

Stirring in her bed after a long night of deep sleep - they had all drifted off around ten the previous evening, exhausted because of the happy busy day - woken up by the shy sun shining in the December sky and its rays lightening the room she was sharing with Rose and the snow covering the rooftops of the houses nearby and the ground - Tris' thought it really looked like a fairytale location. Her Gramma was nowhere to be seen but some noise coming from downstairs told her she could likely be in the kitchen making some coffee or probably already taking care of some Christmas day to-dos - she was used to waking up around five in the morning and reading the newspaper on her armchair before starting her day full of energies, the morning had always been her most-productive moment of the day and she really was admirable, you really had to stop her at some point!

Before going downstairs as well to check on her and be of some help she opened the window and a cold freezing breeze greeted her waking her up completely, taking a deep breath she inhaled the fresh air that sent chills down her spine and made her feel alive. Small snowflakes were dancing, softly going down and down from the blue sky to the white surfaces, twining and moving softly and gently following a silent rhythm Tris admired. It really looked like the perfect Christmas day: snow, lights and decorations visible through other houses windows, snowmen in every garden, Christmas trees, cheerful atmosphere and a festive melody Tris couldn't really figure out if it was in her head or coming from somewhere near her room, sounds of bells ringing and little angels singing. She sighed in pleasure but soon remembered she still needed to go to the kitchen and living room to see who was up, what they were doing and if she could do anything to help so she closed the window and turned around suddenly and quickly to avoid being called and absorbed by the beautiful sight once again.

"Good morning, good morning, merry Christmas, merry Christmas" she sang while going downstairs still in her pjs but not sleepy at all, cheerful and thrilled, excited for the day ahead and everything it would have brought.

"Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas" Susan, Caleb and Rose sang back, the two ladies from the kitchen, Caleb from the top of a not really stable looking ladder next to the tall tree, some decorated red and golden balls in his hands and a quite nervous and inexperienced expression on his pale face, he didn't look really fond of being up there!

"Good morning big brother, are you okay up there?" Tris tested him knowing he had never been cut out for such things.

"Mhmm" was is not really convincing answer, his sister took a few steps towards him and started helping him, not that she could do much since she was short and only reached the middle of the tree but she had guessed having her there could have helped him someway plus she tried to distract him talking and bringing up old Christmas memories dating back to when they were just little kids. It worked and in a few minutes everything was fixed, he gladly put his feet back on the safe surface of the floor and Tris stepped in the kitchen and started working side by side with her sister in law and grandma. Her parents joined them about half an hour later, around 8.30, and breakfast was served before everyone went back to their room to dress and get ready to head to the small town church.

\--

Tris grabbed her phone and switched it on, determined to send a few 'Merry Christmas' texts to her friends, colleagues and classmates, someone already had texted her and she happily replied. She was not surprised to find a text from Tobias but when she opened it she gasped and a huge smile appeared on her lips: he had sent her a wonderful and adorable picture she didn't know had been taken. It was a pic of the four of them - Tobias, Emily, James and herself - in front of Lauren's Christmas tree, they were all smiley and happy, Emily on Tris' shoulder and James on his uncle's, the two adults were facing one another and so where the kids from their height. They were fighting some kind of playful battle but just happiness and carefreeness were in their eyes.

'Merry Christmas Tris' followed by a small heart the caption to that photo, her own heart skipped a bit or two and the big grin did not leave her face as her eyes did not leave the pic, she admired every small detail, zoomed to see better and immediately put that message in the starred one list, she was swelling with a feeling she couldn't quite name… maybe she could but kept to herself.

She sent him a similar text and she added a small red heart at the end as well but also a 'Hope you'll have the best day'. She hesitated a few seconds but eventually decided to send him a silly selfie she had taken the previous night where she was wearing a Santa Claus hat while making a stupid face too. She did not know it would have lead to an intense exchange of pics of all types - funny, silly, serious, goofy, teasing,... - back and forth between her and Tobias, his sometimes including his sister but more often his beloved niece and nephew.

She then texted and replied to everyone she wanted to hear from - she included Tobias' group of friends as well - before texting back and forth a little with Chris and Marlene until her turn to use the shared bathroom arrived and she started getting ready, her selected clothes already waiting on her bed.

\--

Between the route, mass, merry Christmases and small talkes with Caleb's friends and Susan's once out of the Church they arrived back home hungry around noon, thankfully lunch was already waiting for them part of it in the fridge, some other things in the oven and part on the counter. It was only six of them - seven with the baby - but all that food could have been enough for more than ten people, they chuckled at Andrew's comment realizing he was probably right… well they would have eaten the leftovers at dinner or the following day, no food was to waste in that family.

It turned out Andrew had indeed we been right when they all stood up stuffed and completely sated a couple of hours later and put in the fridge a lot of roasted vegetables, some roasted meat and left on the counter a little less than half the pie Tris had baked... They had definitely cooked a little too many things for just a six-person lunch…

\--

The rest of the day passed happily with them sat on the couches most of the time between hot chocolates, anecdotes, short naps, small talk, Christmas movies and cartoons - a tradition nobody really wanted to stop despite their age - and a lot of presents.

Tris received a huge box of her favorite chocolates, a few books she started devouring immediately, some colorful jumpers, a dress from her Grandma - she had made it! -, a new coffee machine, a wonderful pair of earring, a set of Christmassy hilarious mugs she immediately immortalized and sent to Tobias, and a lots of more small and big gifts she loved. At some point Susan and Caleb's living room floor was literally covered in presents, cards and boxes!

\--

The following days passed in a blur, they literally flew by and before they knew it it was time for them to leave and drive back home, after long goodbye hugs and even a few tears from Susan - her hormones a little crazy - they hopped in Andrew's car and got comfortable for the ride, they all had had a wonderful time and event if they would have met again soon because of the baby's birth they all had sad smiles on their faces as they waved, some of them behind the car windows, some of them from the house porch.

The same CD they were listening to on the way there was now playing again, the atmosphere was quieter and apart from a couple of "These past days have been lovely", "This trip is memorable" or something like that almost completely silent partly because of their tiredness and partly because they all missed Caleb and Susan a little bit already.

A particular song made Tris think back at the gig night and the person who had been with her, his chest pressed to her back, his arms secured around her hips and it was enough to make her heart beat faster following another rhythm. The Tobias-related rhythm she knew well.

She started looking for her phone and, once found it, she texted Lauren "I have some gifts for you, the kids and Tobias. We should meet up on of these days" - schools were still close and Emily and James would have been at home for about ten more days and Lauren was home too so Tris was technically on holiday but she really missed the two and their Christmas presents were a wonderful occasion to see them again, smiley and happy. They still needed to share Christmas details with her so they had to arrange something! She sent Tobias a similar text to let him know as well - it was probably the hundredth since Christmas day…

\--

Said and done the following afternoon they met up at Lauren's around four in the afternoon for a cup of the and their presents exchange, it was Friday and it was still snowing. Tris had already seen their house all decorated and ready for Christmas day but once arrived she found two new snowmen next to the step to the front door welcoming her. She chuckle as she noticed them behind the stack of colorful boxes in her hands, that pile was almost taller than her and not really stable as the big box on the top threatened to fall a couple of times, thankfully the tiles were not slippery because otherwise she would have ended up on her butt for sure!

Arrived at the front door a new problem shown up: her hands were busy, both of them and the doorbell was right there, almost staring at her. Luck was on her side that day tho because James saw her through the big living room window, or better he saw all those presents, and sprinted to open the door, excitement and awe written all over his face as he stood there still staring up at her.

"Woooow" he whispered eventually right as Lauren arrived as well and helped Tris put down and carry her presents to the other room where Emily and Tobias were. The small kid ran and jumped in Tris' arms greeting her in the warmest way, even planting a couple of kisses on the nanny's cheeks. She really was the sweetest. It took James a few seconds to react but then he was right in front of Tris, his arms wrapped around her legs, his face coming up to her waist and one of her hands was in his hair in a heartbeat, the small girl still anchored to her neck with her hands and to her hips with her legs.

"Merry late Christmas" she announced cheerfully planting a kiss on Emily's head as she put her back down and on James' as well.

"Merry Christmas Tris" they squealed before toddling towards the kitchen giving Tris, Lauren and Tobias time to say 'hi'. The two little pests peeked at them and saw their nanny hug their mum lightly before turning her attention to their beloved Uncle Toby with whom she shared a long long tight embrace and even a kiss on the cheek. They chuckled and they heard them, Emily and James hid behind the wall while Tris and Tobias' cheeks turned slightly red in embarrassment.

After that short awkward and funny moment everything proceed smoothly and time once again seemed to fly away, the kids were excited and eager to open their presents so they ended up skipping the cup of tea time but that had really just been a pretext, Tris tried their Christmas cookies tho and found them delicious, big proud smiles on Emily and her brother's face.

"Can we open them up now mum, please?" the angelic girl pleaded with her big light blue irresistible eyes and as James chimed in with a "pretty please" Lauren gave in and got up and left, showing up again after barely a minute with a red and gold box in her hands, Tris' present.

They decided to take turns, the kids started of course and relief and joy washed over Tris as they both really appreciated her gifts. She had found an interesting science book about the universe full of quizzes, curiosities, games and even some posters for James while she had bought Emily a peluche of Aslan, the Narnia Chronicles lion she had fallen in love with when Tris had read them the books, and a music-related board game. They both were beyond happy and almost suffocated Tris with all their affection, hugs and kisses, I said 'almost' because she welcomed their displays of fondness with great pleasure.

Tris' turn arrived next - "Wow, this is amazing. Thank you"she said quietly, still amazed and surprised once unwrapped the box Lauren had handed her, staring at the wonderful leather bag in her hands before lifting her eyes towards Lauren and reaching out to hug her. "Thank you" she whispered again, her eyes were sincere and her happiness genuine, they all could tell.

Similar scenes took place again when Tris gave Lauren and Tobias their presents: a new palette for her and for him three tickets for his favorite hockey team upcoming match, his face priceless when he figured out what those pieces of paper were. When he gave her his present that consisted in a couple of books, a vintage diary 'for your short stories' and a new and latest model set of ice-skates because he had remembered her disappointment when she had found out one of her ice skate blade was damaged he was rewarded by a similar reaction and some kisses along with a long, eternal hug even if it wasn't quite clear if it was her holding onto him tightly or the other way around.

"Ah l'amour, l'amour, l'amour" Lauren thought with a content smile on her lips, the two of them just needed to open their eyes already and do something about their feelings!

The kids looked thrilled as ever, running up and down here and there, playing with their new gifts and eating Christmas sweets, Lauren and Tobias looked happy and relaxed as well, it had been a lovely afternoon; and Tris was swelling with so many wonderful feelings and was feeling a little overwhelmed in a good way.

\--

But there was something else waiting for her.

And she found out while leaving, it was nearly seven in the evening so it was already dark outside right in front of her car when Tobias surprised her with a small golden chain with her name written in an elegant style and a few seconds later shocked her with a "Wear this. Tomorrow night. On our date" before placing in her hands the tome she had given him to read with his bookmarks between the last two pages.

He then dissolved in the darkness leaving her there, stunned.

 **We're almost there!!**

 **Reviews and PMs are always much appreciated!!**

 **~OceanicGirl**


	21. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

 **DISCLAIMER** : I don't own "The Divergent Trilogy"

 **ATTENTION PLEASE: this is the last (and really long) real chapter of The Part-Time Nanny.  
**

Driving through the luckily-not-so-busy streets of Portland all decorated and enlightened for the festive period Tobias felt happy, utterly and completely happy. And excited. God he was so excited to be finally taking Tris out on a date, he had wanted to do so for such a long time! And now he was, he was driving to her place ready to be a gentleman, go and knock on her door, offer her his arm for her to hold onto, help her hop in the car and then ready to drive towards their destination, ready and eager for their date to begin - he knew it would have been the best even just because he had never met someone like her and he had certainly never felt this way before, the knot in his stomach tightening with every meter. Excitement was eating him alive.

Driving his fancy, shining, fast black car he thought back at the first time they had met, rather the first time he had heard of her from Lauren, Emily and James and he soon started getting lost in their memories, there were so many of them… enough to keep him busy during the ride.

He was early because of his eagerness and the fact that he had unexpectedly found no traffic on his way, in addition he was driving fast, a little too fast and he had to force himself to slow down more than once, his excitement and want to be with her already winning over his self-control every now and then.

Taking a deep breath he slowed down once again and started keeping an eye on the dashboard where the car speed indicator was along with the car clock. He could not arrive at her place 30 minutes before their appointment so he had to keep himself busy as he slowed down and started driving around, choosing the longest way to her house and driving around her neighborhood to kill the time.

Thankfully memories kept him company.

It had been in September the first time he had locked eyes with Tris' and he still remembered he had immediately thought she was the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen, we could say it had been love at first sight. Oh man but he had tried to deny and hide his feelings for her not only from the object of his strong attraction but from himself as well, he had fought a long unsuccessful internal battle, but eventually he had lost. Miserably. His feeling had won and now, thinking back at it, he was so glad they had.

He had got to know her better and deeper and every single time he had found himself more and more drawn towards his niece and nephew's nanny, towards that amazing gorgeous incredibile selfless kind fun and gentle precious creature he had a lot in common with.

Memories of their first friendly moments made of shy smiles and chats that had lead to more and deeper feelings.

Memories of all the laughter and stupid things they had done together, all their embarrassing moments.

Memories dating back at when he had just been defeated, when his feelings had won and he had been no longer able to hide and deny his attraction towards her.

Memories of his surprise when he had sensed she probably was feeling the same for him.

Memories of their flirting, innocent and really awkward at first but then more and more intense, sensual and explicit.

Memories of all the times they had touched in more than a strictly friendly-way - all those times their lips had indulged on each other cheek longer than necessary, all those times their hand had found one another's, all those times he had felt her hands brushing on his knee or arm, all those times he had let his own hands roam further and longer that acceptable between friends, all those times his lips had ghosted on her lips without actually touching them, all those times he had held her close by her waist just because he selfishly wanted to feel her body against his.

Memories of their mock date that did not help the knot in his stomach at all and even caused him to shake his head to push out that strong sensation that was absorbing him, a threat to his safety on the streets as his eyes had clouded with desire and something more intimate he couldn't - or didn't want to - label.

Memories of the long book he had had to read to earn a date with her, memories of how it had all started out as a joke but soon had become serious. Memories of his countdowns to know the exact number of pages left until the end.

Memories of his small first five prizes that were nothing compared to the one he was going claiming.

The last, most yearned for.

The date.

Eventually here he was. Driving towards it.

Since their first meeting he had been on a roller-coaster, emotionally of course, and finally it seemed like his ride was coming to an end. Or probably a new beginning.

Tris was thinking something similar while staring at herself in the big mirror of her bedroom: her eyes shining and glistening, her heart beating incredibly fast in her chest, her teeth biting her lower lip trying to suppress her huge grin but unsuccessfully as it reached her ears anyway. Her golden hair was down and wavy as she knew Tobias loved it, her make-up minimal - just some mascara and a little bit of eyeshadow - but enough to enhance her natural beauty, her big eyes, her rosy, sensual - and tortured - lips and her few cute freckles.

Her golden hair then was perfect with her small jewels: Tobias' new necklace that she had never taken off since his big warm hands had clasped its latch around her neck sending thrills down her spine the previous night, a couple of bracelets and the thin golden ring with emerald she was wearing on her right hand. When she had re-discovered it in her jewelry box, still quite shocked by Tobias' words and with no idea about what to wear for the date, it had been a kind of click in her head, an epiphany because in her wardrobe there had been for the past year or so an elegant, fancy, breathtaking new dress she had bought for a special occasion but only worn once and that was the same exact color of the precious stone of that ring.

She had found it, her outfit!

And now that she was looking at her reflection, her back peep toe heels waiting to be worn next to her feet, she couldn't help but think that after all she looked quite good dressed like that, she liked it. The small golden details and her emerald, long sleeves mid length dress with its tight upper half and loose skirt looked good together and she felt butterflies in her stomach, her teeth biting deeper in her poor bottom lips… she was so excited.

She had no idea where they were going, where he was taking her or what they would have done - she just new they were about to go on a date, the date she had been waiting for for months, the date she had been so looking forward to.

Honestly Tobias' words from the night before had arrived totally out of the blue talking her by surprise, but what a welcomed surprise! Well actually she didn't quite know if having such a short time to process the announcement had been a good or a bad thing… probably a good one, otherwise she could have ended up stressing too much about it and getting enormously nervous with no reason. Not that she wasn't nervous at all but excitement and happiness were much much stronger and kind of dominated her slight nervousness and insecurity.

After all she knew it would have been the best date she had ever had and not simply because she hadn't had many but mainly because she knew Tobias well and was aware of the chemistry between the two of them as well as of the sexual tension surrounding then all the time, the fact that talking, laughing and chatting had never ever been a problem between them also helped her smooth her anxiety.

She was hopeful.

She was happy.

When Tobias eventually got fed up with driving around, excitement now way too strong to fight, he pulled into Tris' road - probably the only one in the neighborhood he had avoided in the past half an hour - and took a deep breath, more to contain his growing and growing smile than to calm down, that was impossible between his eagerness, happiness and thrills. Anyway he didn't manage to wipe his grin off his face neither, the inspiration only helping him cool off a little bit, he was all hot in anticipation of what was to come and the freezing air helped the temperature of his body decrease.

It was Saturday night, around six in the evening and it was late December. As a result it really was freezing outside, even too cold to snow but the streets were covered in white anyway because it had snowed in the morning when the shy pale sun had allowed a little bit of warmth.

Small clouds of steam started dancing around his face as Tobias got off the car and started taking the few steps between his parked vehicle and Tris' door.

His eyes lively and cheerful, his smiling lips on display and a bouquet of winter flowers in his hand came face to face with Tris when she opened the door looking exactly the same apart from the flowers, enthusiasm written all over her face as well as she let him in and then closed the door before giving him her full attention.

A light blush colored her cheeks when he handed her the gorgeous flowers before tangling his fingers in her hair and brushing her face lovingly, his eyes fixed on hers as he slowly leant down wrapping his now free hands around her waist at the same time as she stood on her tiptoes and locked her arms around his neck, the flowers slightly tickling him but he didn't even noticed as all he could think about was the creature he was holding close and safe against his form. Her scent. Her warmth. Her beauty. The feeling of the soft skin of her cheek dangerously close to her mouth under his lips.

"So beautiful" he mumbled to himself admiring her body and effortless gestures as he watched her put his flowers in an small elegant glass container and set it on her kitchen table, she didn't say anything but when she turned around she was blushing and biting her lip shyly - she had heard him but he was okay with that.

First of all that was the absolute truth - she was beautiful, she was gorgeous! -, secondly she deserved to be told so and last but not least he loved when she was slightly red and timid: she was impossibly cute.

He said that aloud as well and as she turned burgundy he pecked the tip of her nose ghosting over her lips in the process; it felt like his lips had a mind of their own and knew where they belonged: he wanted to kiss her, properly kiss her, so badly but decided to prolong the sweet torture a little bit more… he had been waiting for the past three months, he could now wait just a few more hours, couldn't he?

"Ready to go?" he whispered in her ear, her hair brushing his own cheek as he enjoyed her shiver and goosebumps. She didn't know anything about their date and Tobias loved that, he was going to keep her on her toes till the end and surprise her with something special he had been working on and planning for the past week or so. He was happy with how everything had turned out and now he could only hope she would have loved it just as much.

What he had in store for her was a mix between a classic first date and an unique thing, an interesting and hopefully memorable crossover he had put much effort in, it was really something special.

He was super excited as he drove them to their secret destination, his hand often brushing over Tris' knee, thigh or hand as conversation flowed easily between the two of them in an electrified atmosphere: things felt relaxed and friendly as usual but the sexual tension and chemistry was stronger and amplified at the same time, it was a weird and powerful sensation. But a welcomed one. The quite long drive was not a problem, no awkward silences nor uncomfortable situations occurred as everything seemed to come natural.

Tris gave up trying to figure out where he was taking her when they had just left Portland behind and were almost arrived, but she only found that out when he stopped his car in front of a curious and mysterious building by the coast in the middle of nowhere. She had no idea where they were, it was quiet outside and quite dark expect for the light coming from the high building big windows.

She turned to face Tobias, a silent question in her eyes but he just smirked and winked before getting out of the car, walking around it and opening her door to help her out exactly as he had helped her in in front of her house.

A real gentleman.

A mystery one tho.

"Where are we?" this time her question was vocal but the answer still not really exhaustive: "You'll see" and it was once again spoken in her ear, she couldn't help but shiver - his effect on her undeniable and impossible to fight… shivers, butterflies, flutters winning over her self-control. But she liked that, she had never felt this way with anyone else and even if she usually wanted to always have control over her body and actions she had kind of accepted the fact that around Tobias she had not… It was part of the being head over heels for someone process after all, wasn't it?

"Give me your hands and close your eyes" he instructed her as soon as they entered the mysterious building, from the doorway figuring out where they were or what that place was was impossible so Tris was as clueless as before and at his words she turned around quickly to throw him a questioning yet excited look, after all she trusted him completely and as he realized that - when she followed his orders without complaining - something swelled inside him and a sudden urge to touch her, keep her close and feel her body took over him so he lifted her up in his arms bridal style…

Officially he did it to avoid her getting hurt with her high sexy sensual heels as he told her stressing the words 'sexy' and 'sensual' causing her to grow hotter against his chest but it was really just because of an irrepressible selfish desire.

Holding her close and breathing in her soft hair he walked forward and got in the lift that would have taken them up, up, up to the last floor where his surprise was waiting for them, al least part of his surprise because part of it would have been revealed later, at the end of their date - hopefully as the cherry on top of it.

He had rented that spectacular building made of wood and glass, a sustainable edifice built far from the city and possible lights where some important meetings had been hosted as well as some summits. He had been there once before for a business negotiation and a big investment and that place had really caught his eye, he hadn't hesitated to call and rent the whole building for that occasion even if he only wanted to use the seventh floor, the price - honestly quite high, with no doubts higher than what he was used to spend for a date! - hadn't discouraged him. He wanted the best for Tris and he knew it would have been worth it!

The look on her face as she drank in the big airy loft, its wooden floor, the glass all over it as one huge window replacing the walls and showing the big dark blue ocean and long coast on two of the four sides, Portland and its lights on another one and plants, trees and nature on the fourth one, the modern, warm and crackling fireplace, the small candles here and there lightening up the location and creating suggestive games of light and shadow, the petals of red roses gently lying down on the brown surface under their shoes and the small, round, simple, elegant table by the window towards the sea was priceless.

Her mouth was hanging open as if in disbelief and astonishment and she looked incapable of fully process the sight before her eyes as she spun around three, four, five times with eyes wide open before slowing down and eventually stopping facing Tobias.

"Wow" she breathed out before adding "Is this for real?" in a whisper.

"It is. It looks like you like it here"

"It's… amazing" she said quietly, her feet had started taking small steps towards the man in fancy suit just an arm from her but she had not told them to do that, at least not consciously. Tobias welcomed her against his chest willingly anyway and softly mumbled "The best has still to come" before taking a step back and announcing "C'mon, let's get started with this real date" placing his hand on her lower - lower! - back and guiding her towards the table before pulling the chair out for her to sit.

Tinnnn.

The sound of something metallic echoed throughout the room and only then Tris noticed the small silver bell resting on the table next to the three candles and some more petals that added to the white tablecloth a perfect touch of color, or better a touch of colors as Tris could recognize some petal of roses and some small crocuses, irises, chrysanthemums and even some cyclamen flowers. He had remembered it, her passion for flowers and plants. Her heart fluttered more in her chest as she forgot for a moment about the bell ring and reached out to interlock her fingers with Tobias' looking up at him lovingly and finding him mirroring her own expression, their little trance interrupted by the lift doors opening.

"Good evening sir, milady" a waiter holding like five plates in his hands along with a couple of bottles - Tris had no idea how could he when sometimes even just balancing two things in her hands was difficult for her - appeared from the elevator with a professional yet warm smile on his face.

"For this special occasion we have prepared some delicious dishes we're now ready to serve. I really hope you both will enjoy them" he said placing a rectangular long plate in the middle of the table halfway between Tobias as Tris and then two round plates in front of them and even small saucers next to their glasses, a bottle of red wine and a glass pitcher of water followed. "Here we have some roulades of beef and vegetables with some spicy sauce, then here is some pumpkin pureed soup with toasted bread crumbles to add a crunchy element to the course, extra virgin olive oil, ginger and nutmeg" he went on describing the appetizing dishes waiting to be tasted in from of them - they all looked exquisitely yummy - before leaving. A similar scene took place when he served their second course and then the dessert and once again every single dish looked tasty and irresistible.

And they soon found out they tasted exactly the same: delicious and exquisite with a winning and amazing mixture of different flavors, tastes and textures.

"This may be the best soup I've ever had" Tris moaned halfway through eating her pumpkin puree and even if that sound made all his blood flow to his lower regions his brain was still surprisingly able to form a coherent thought and answer as he nodded and made a comment about the small juicy rolls they had shared, Tris couldn't help but agree as they had been just as delicious.

When he had called and hired them for the night Tobias had known that the chef and cooks would have been great, they were well known and quite famous in their field in Portland but God their dishes were indescribable, like divinely good! He couldn't have made a better choice!

As usual conversation was not a problem, with those two involved words, jokes, laughter and innuendos had always flowed easily and that night was no exception despite the different atmosphere, it was still friendly but less than usual and sexual tension was much much stronger as well the electricity and thrills running between them with every touch, brush or caress. Everything felt bigger, stronger, amplified, more intimate and intense.

For example when Tris first brushed her knee against his leg under the table without meaning to but in the process of crossing her legs her effect on him and his reaction - he gulped and his Adam's apple bobbed visibly as his eyes widened - spurt her on so she started to do that5 deliberately, amused delighted and excited. His reactions were priceless every time as he started growing hotter and hotter, his face more and more red as he tried to control himself. It was painful yet felt good at the same time for them both: sweet torture for Tris and Tobias as well but she loved that she could have that effect on him and, on the other hand, he loved she was confidently and sensually teasing him that way.

Two could play at that game tho.

And he did not miss his chance.

When their dessert - two huge slices of chocolate cake with chocolaty icing and currants on top, some whipped cream on one side of the plate and some more colorful berries on the other - arrived and the waiter left he mysteriously got up and took a couple of steps so that he was standing behind Tris, the back of her head reaching his chest, and when she turned around with a questioning look he dunk his finger in her whipped cream careful not to be noticed and when she opened her mouth to ask him why had he stood up he rubbed cream all on her nose, lips and cheeks.

"Hey" she squealed taken aback and just as the tip of her tongue darted out to reach and eat the white cream he leant down with the same intention.

Their tongues brushed against one another's.

Okay now that had not been planned.

A shiver ran down Tobias' spine at the velvety contact and something tightened impossibly in Tris' stomach. He pulled away almost abruptly and worried to see her reaction, a million thoughts twirling in his head as he put a couple of inches between their faces and met her eyes with no clue about what he would have found in them. Shock? Rejection? Passion? Unsureness?

That only lasted for about a second tho because as he had lifted his face from hers and met her shiny gorgeous eyes she had wrapped her arms around his neck and locked her hands behind it so after a brief moment of intense and burning stare she slowly and gently started pulling him forward until their lips met in a kiss.

A real kiss.

A little shy and tentative at first it soon turned into something powerful, sure, magical, delicious, sensual, intimate and incredibly intense. It felt like a real relief, like they had eventually found what they had been looking and waiting for for the past days, weeks, months.

Tris' face was still covered in whipped cream and now even Tobias' but they couldn't care less - they hadn't even noticed that actually - way too absorbed in the kiss, in the motion of their mouths, the lips-to-lips yearned for contact, all the passion and attraction and feelings running through them, the sweet intoxicating brushes of their tongues - deliberate this time.

One kiss turned into two and three and four before they reluctantly pulled away for air, all flushed and hot they did not break eye contact nor their embrace. The atmosphere didn't shift when Tobias collected some cream from her cheek with his index and moved it to her parted lips that soon closed around it and licked the sweet thing from it looking sexy and desirable as ever, Tobias hardened even more in his suit pants that now felt tight despite his internal perentory "don't you dare" and "No, no, no" to his lower regions.

It was becoming impossibly hard to fight his desire for her, his physical ache, but they needed to slow down and he certainly needed to cool down a little bit and all those touches and licks were not helping at all! So he took one deep deep breathe to regain control over himself and for his blood to flow back to his brain and he pulled away taking a step back, putting some real distance between his body and hers.

"Let's get back to our cake before we go too far too fast" he said, his voice full of need and want, hoarse and rough. No need to add anything else for Tris to understand as she smirked to herself and smiled shyly blushing at the same time, a mix of timid and extremely confident and bold.

They kept silent for a bit, not an awkward or uncomfortable silence just some contemplative and reflective minutes as they enjoyed their slice of dessert, the chocolaty flavor combined with currants one divine: sweetness and sourness balancing perfectly as well as the different textures of the cake layers, small berries and whipped cream - that last caused a little problems as their guts tightened for obvious reasons and brand new memories but, apart from that, everything flowed smoothly until their last bite.

As they talked for a little bit more and then Tobias invited her to dance no more kisses or really hated moments occured but a wide range of touches and hugs were shared as neither of them missed the chance to press their bodies closer and closer, impossibly closer as they swirled following the rhythm of the soft slow music playing - their chest pressed together, their legs constantly brushing and their arms secured around one another: hers around his shoulder and neck as her face was leaning against his collarbone and neck - her high heels allowed her to reach those parts of him - and his around her lower back and hips where they felt amazing and electrified.

After many dances Tris' feet - trapped in her high heels - had started to protest rather loudly and Tobias had immediately sensed her discomfort so with one last twirl he had lead her towards the elegant wooden king size lounger and its white fluffy mattress and pillows where they were now lying on, his back leaning against the reclining head, Tris' cheek against his chest right where his heart was beating, his arm wrapped around her shoulder keeping her close, the fingers of his other hand and one of hers intertwined, their legs tangled together.

It felt like a dream.

"This date has been amazing. One hundred times better than the mock one" Tris lazily mumbled stifling a small yawn.

"I agree. And it's not over yet, I have one last surprise for you" he said smiling down at her beautiful face, he loved it there, against his torso.

"Yeah?" she whispered almost shyly meeting his eyes, excitement in them as they were literally glistening in the dim light. He just nodded, his chin meeting the top of her head as he moved it up and down a couple of times before untangling from her and getting up.

"Stay here and close your eyes. Do not peek, okay missy?" she gave him the most adorable pouty face before closing her eyes. She really had no idea what was about to happen or what this surprise would have been so when she felt Tobias slipping into that sort of bed she was lying on barely ten seconds after he had stood up she was quite surprised but welcomed his embrace nonetheless and was about to open her eyelids when a strange noise started echoing in the loft and he immediately stopped her.

"Just a little bit longer" he told her before a brief pause and then a countdown "Five, four, three, two...one...you can open them now"

Curiosity was eating her alive so he didn't need to told her that twice but once opened she looked around but could not figure out what had changed nor what his surprise for her was, everything looked just the same as before.

"What have yo-" she started saying while turning her head around to face him but right then, in the process, she noticed it and was left speechless, her mouth hanging open at the wonderful, mesmerizing, totally unexpected sight; only a gasp left her lips as she just stared at it fascinated.

In that moment she only had eyes for it. For the dark sky above them. For the big white full moon. For the myriad of shiny starts decorating the airspace. For her surprise, visible through the ceiling made of glass that had been covered with something till then - some kind of advanced technology had just moved the dark cladding, that had looked like the real ceiling until seconds before, to show the amazing and breathtaking starry night above them.

She stared up at it for long minutes, so completely enchanted she didn't even notice Tobias running his finger through her hair until she turned back to him and opened her mouth two, three, four times without emitting any sound - she was incapable of speaking right then, still too surprised and shocked!

He put one of her locks behind her ear and withdrawing his hand she cradled her cheek lovingly and stayed like that until she regained control over her body and mouth and threw her arms around his neck and kind of jumped on his lap, short sentences such as "thank you, thank you, thank you", "wow" or "this is amazing" leaving her lips non-stop as she kept tightening her grip on him, of course he happily reciprocated.

"You are the best" she squealed before planting a firm kiss on his lips that didn't get heated tho because after some seconds she pulled away and resumed admiring the sky getting comfortable half on the lounger and half on Tobias; it was easy for him to lean down and put his mouth next to her ear and he did that when he softly whispered "Would you like me to show you some stars and constellations?"

It was already late but they still spent another hour there, just lying down together and watching the moon, the stars and the unique shapes and figures you could see and draw using the small shiny celestial bodies in front of their eyes. It felt like heaven and they really didn't want that night to end, didn't want to leave but eventually they had to, they still had quite a long way to Portland, they were both yawning and it was already two in the morning.

"Promise me we'll come back one day" she begged him tiredly once in the car.

One day... he loved the sound of that! "Anything for you" he answered - not sure if he had added 'babe' at the end of the sentence out loud as well or just in his mind - before starting the car and driving away in the night, everything was quiet and silent and so were them, they did not speak, just let the past wonderful hours sink in.

Way too soon Tobias stopped the car in front of her front door but for about a minute he didn't make a move to get out, when he did Tris immediately missed his warm hand on her knee and she realized it was over, their date had come to an end. She didn't want it to, she didn't like it… That night had been perfect, every single thing had been perfect… She wished it could last forever.

When Tobias helped her get out and put his hand on her hip walking her up the three small steps in front of her house she held on to him almost desperately but he looked just as painfully reluctant to let her go, in fact once in front of the door he turned to face her completely and wrapped his arms around her waist, his face leaning down so that their foreheads were almost pressed together. They just held each other tightly, no one spoke for a while as they stared into one another's eyes intensely, their gaze and grip enough to express what words could not.

Tobias was the first one to break the silence but he kept his voice low, barely above a whisper as he asked "Do I need to read another book to take you out again?" half serious half not.

She chuckled and playfully punched him on his chest shaking her head "No silly. You better hurry up this time, I've waited long enough for this one"

 **THANK YOU** : Thank you all for your reviews, follows, favs and PMs, they really mean a lot to me and I'm so glad a lot of people enjoyed this story. Your support was essential and really welcomed. Thank you!

 **Don't forget to review this last chapter!**

 **~OceanicGirl**


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